Allison Lyn Connor
by Troll99
Summary: Someone new enters the lives of Cameron Connor and John Connor. A story, created for the 'Vacation Universe'. All characters are OOC! Chapter 6 posted.
1. Chapter 1

_I know. I've said that there would probably be no more new stories from me for the TSCC universe. But the idea popped in my head and I simply had to put it down. Again a short fluffy story with no action at all, but a lot of emotions and Jameron._

_The story is set into the "Vacation Universe", after the 'Endgame', meaning that it's absolutely AU, so, please, be warned that the characters are 'out of character'. It's a one-shot and there'll be no more chapters. But … if you want to understand the background, you'd have to know the other stories of the series. I guess that the majority of readers read them and will have no problems connecting this one-shot to the others. Even though I tried to write it as stand-alone story, there are definitely hints on things that happened in previous stories._

_Someone new enters the lives of Cameron and John Connor. Remember the talk, Cameron and John had in 'Endgame' while babysitting Savannah on the beach?_

_I don't own the franchise and the characters. However, Allison Lyn Connor is my OC. And yes … I chose the middle name on purpose!_

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><p><strong>Allison Lyn Connor - Chapter 1<br>**

"She's so tiny!"

"Of course she is! Babies in her age are normally tiny, Cam and she's no exception!"

"But …"

"No buts, Cam! You know it perfectly well yourself how big human children are at this age."

" … but I'm afraid I could hurt her. She's so fragile!"

"You won't Cam. You're holding her just as you should."

Cameron looked at John with slightly confused eyes, even though her face simply glowed in happiness. The small bundle in her arms stirred slightly and it let out a soft yawn before settling down again. Cameron's eyes momentarily flickered to the little girl she held secure in her arms and a slight expression of fear reflected on her face.

"Is something wrong with her? Why did she make a noise? Am I holding her correctly? Doesn't she like me?" The beautiful cyborg, once known as Cameron Phillips, but now going under the name of Cameron Connor, the legally wedded wife of John Connor, rattled the questions so quickly that John barely understood them and he most definitely had no chance to answer them as fast as they'd been asked. The huge brown eyes looked at him slightly insecure and deeply questioning. Never before in her existence had she felt so insecure as just now.

John smiled affectionately at his spouse and his arm, encircling Cameron's shoulders protectively and lovingly, drove her tighter to his body. His eyes rested on the little girl, now sleeping peacefully in Cameron's protective arms for a moment, before looking into the brown eyes, gazing at him expectantly.

"No, Cameron, you're doing everything right. I guess she's just sleepy and therefore she yawns. I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with her and I'm most definitely sure that she'll love you very much. But she's still a little baby and she never saw you before." He chuckled quietly. "You've seen how long it took her to fall asleep."

His finger gently touched the little girl's tiny fist and it suddenly opened and grabbed for the big finger, offering itself to her. John's face instantly erupted in a big smile and he gazed at the baby lovingly. He might have met her just few hours ago, but he already knew that he loved her.

"How can you be so sure?" Cameron's voice was not only slightly confused but also a little bit sad. "Most people don't like me." Her face reflected how she felt. She might have not cared for how other people treated her before, but now she did.

"_Some_ people _didn't_ like you!" John corrected her with serious voice and looked at her. "But now they do. The ones who see the real Cameron, they … well … they simply _have_ to like you." He bowed to her and gave her a tender kiss on the lips. He remembered how difficult it had been for Cameron to get along with other people before. But then they went on that fateful winter vacation, met Andrea and Tim; made it through the horrible summer vacation where she made friends with Chris… Cameron changed immensely and it was all for the good.

The tiny hand, holding onto his finger suddenly let it go and began to wave through air abruptly, as if seeking for something else to hold on to.

"There!" John gently nudged his wife and pointed towards the searching hand. "Give her your finger!"

Cameron looked at him indecisive for a moment, but after he nodded to her vigorously, she gently shifted the baby so that she now cradled her in her left arm, while she carefully moved her right hand towards the tiny one, still circling in the air and grabbing at nothing. As soon as her forefinger made contact with it, Cameron felt how small digits wrapped around her finger with surprising strength and the girl made a satisfied noise while calming down completely.

"See? She likes you already!" John beamed at Cameron and as she turned her face towards him, he could see how she simply glowed. A wide smile adorned her beautiful features and her eyes sparkled like stars on the night skies.

They sat there in silence for few minutes, simply enjoying the sight of the baby girl in Cameron's arms. John somehow got the impression that Cameron wouldn't allow anyone to take the baby from her right now. He wanted to hold her too, but he also knew that there would be enough opportunities later. Now he just sat there, taking in the obvious Cameron's infatuation with the child. He knew how much she changed in the last time, but it still surprised him just how much she showed her emotions and how quick she let someone in her 'heart'.

"Have you already decided on how we're going to call her? Sure, she has a name, but somehow … Amelia … doesn't seem right." His face showed that he found the name completely unacceptable.

Cameron looked indecisive for a moment before she turned her huge eyes toward him. However, she remained silent.

"Cam?"

She hung her head for a moment before raising it again. "Would it be inappropriate if we'd call her Allison?"

John knew why she wasn't sure about this suggestion. One look into the guilty eyes of his wife and he knew that this was a wish he never could decline. Besides … Allison was a nice name. So he shook his head. "No, it wouldn't be inappropriate. Quite on the contrary, I think it would be very nice. And I like it." He smiled encouragingly at his wife.

Cameron was not sure if she'd made a proper suggestion and she waited for John's answer tensely. But as soon as he confirmed that it was all right, a bright smile spread across her face and she nodded vigorously. "I like it too." Somehow she felt like she would have been given a small redemption for what she did in the future to the girl who served as the template for her appearance. She might have terminated Allison Young when she was still a drone to her evil creator, Skynet, but she would make sure that Allison Connor would have a happy and long life.

John looked at Allison for a second, almost lost in his thoughts and then his face lightened up and he turned towards still smiling Cameron. "Allison Lyn Connor. I think she should be named Allison Lyn."

His wife didn't need more than a second to nod and her smile, if possible at all, grew even a little wider.

As if the baby girl would feel that they were talking about such important thing as her name, she woke up and her sleepy eyes gazed first into Cameron's smiling ones, just to shift to look at John. After a second her gaze returned to Cameron and she gave her a smile before her eyes closed again. The smile remained on the baby's face and her fingers tightly wrapped around Cameron's forefinger.

Cameron looked at John and he could see how her eyes glittered dangerously wet. "She smiled at me, John! She likes me!"

"Who wouldn't like you, Cameron."

"So, this is the new member of our family!" Sarah's voice interrupted the moment and John as well as Cameron looked at the Connor matriarch, who just entered the room. Her face showed her anticipation as she looked at the small bundle in her daughter in law's arms.

"Yeah, mom, meet Allison Lyn Connor." John smiled at his mother proudly.

Sarah walked over to them and as she approached, she noticed the extreme care with which Cameron held the tiny baby in her arms and saw the glowing face of the cyborg girl. There was no doubt that she already enclosed the girl in her heart and would do anything to protect her.

"May I hold her for a second?"

Cameron felt inexplicably reluctant to hand Allison Lyn over to her mother in law and hesitated for a second. She wanted to hold her baby in her arms. She instantly grew irrationally worried about her daughter and didn't want to give her away, not even for a second. Luckily, John solved the situation before his mother could get angry. "I don't think it would be wise right now mom. She just fell asleep and we wouldn't want to wake her up." He looked at his wife for a second before turning back to Sarah and grinned at her. "It's been quite a struggle to calm her down. If it wasn't for Cameron …" He trailed off and looked again at his wife, who beamed back at him gratefully.

Sarah nodded. She understood the reluctance in Cameron's eyes, but also knew a little bit about babies and was content for a moment to just watch at her granddaughter for the time being. _Granddaughter_! She was now a _grandmother_? Suddenly it hit her. Her son, her boy, who was a teenager just a while ago, was now a father. OK, an adoptive father, but nonetheless. He couldn't be a biological father with his wife being a machine from the future after all. But the terrible thing was that it made her a _grandmother_!

John looked at his mother like a hawk and saw how her eyes widened a bit and a flash of horror passed her face. "Is there something wrong mom?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, everything's perfect. I have just been reminded that I'm growing old!"

"You? Old?" John stuttered. "Never! You might be the toughest mom alive, but old? I don't think so!"

"Of course I am, John! I'm a _grandmother_, for god's sake!" Her voice crackled with emotion.

John now understood and he grinned at her. "Well, yes, you're a granny now, mom. But it doesn't make you old, though." He hurried with explanation after he saw a warningly raising of his mother's finger after he called her 'granny'.

"Oh, shut up, John!" Sarah finished the discussion with a small grin and turned back to Cameron, who followed the discussion between her husband and her mother in law with interest, while protectively clutching and slowly gently rocking her adopted daughter in her arms.

"She looks a lot like you!" Sarah gasped in surprise as she now looked at Allison Lyn carefully, taking in her brown curly hair and a face, that resembled Cameron quite a lot.

"Yeah, we were lucky, right, Cam?" John answered for his wife and grinned at his mother.

"Does she have anything …" Sarah trailed off and motioned towards the baby.

"Do you mean if she's the Allison, Cameron told us about?"

Sarah nodded.

John shook his head. "No, her given name is … was … Amelia and she's an orphan. Her parents have been killed in a shooting in a mall few weeks ago." His eyes suddenly looked far away and he needed a moment to return to the present. "We were lucky that we were the ones to be picked up as her adoptive parents." Suddenly his face got a little sly expression. "Well, it might have had a little to do with John Henry's messing up with the correct data bases."

"You didn't?" Sarah looked at her son incredulously, but her face almost instantly erupted in a mischievous grin.

"We did!" Cameron deadpanned with her best 'scary robot' expression, which she very rarely used since she got married to John. Mainly just when she tried to make fun of her mother in law.

"Why, you two …" Sarah shook her head and grinned from ear to ear. Then she got serious and fixed Cameron with her gaze. "How come that you agreed to adopt a child?"

"John wanted a baby."

"I know he did, but what about you? Did you _want_ a baby too or is it just that you want John to be happy?"

"Yes!"

"Yes what?"

"I want John to be happy."

Sarah looked taken aback.

"And I wanted the _baby_ too." Cameron added with a sly grin, unmistakably stressing the word 'baby'.

Now it was Sarah's turn to let out a relieved breath and she smiled warmly at the young cyborg. She nodded to her and looked at Allison Lyn, comfortably curled in Cameron's arms, sleeping soundly and maintaining the content smile on her face, while her small fist still clutched to Cameron's finger possessively. "Just by seeing how you hold her, I could never doubt that you're telling me the truth."

Cameron's face got serious and she looked directly into Sarah's eyes. "I love Allison Lyn and I will do anything to protect her and make her happy."

"I have absolutely no doubts about that." Then Sarah stood up and cast a last look at her granddaughter before turning to Cameron again and as she spoke, her voice reflected a mock severity. "But I still want to hold her, you know!"

Cameron's eyes flickered to her daughter for a second and she pulled her slightly tighter against her body before she looked at her mother in law. "I know. It's just …"

"You feel like you have to hold her right now and don't allow anyone else to touch her, even your husband not. Right?" Sarah's words hit the dead center of the target, called Cameron's emotional state.

Cameron nodded.

"I understand. I felt the same as I held your husband in my arms for the first time." Sarah's voice carried a distinct melancholic note and she abruptly left the room before the young ones could see the moisture, beginning to gather in the corners of her eyes.

After Sarah left them, Cameron turned towards John worriedly: "Did I do something wrong? Should I have allowed Sarah to hold Allison Lyn?"

John gently stroke Cameron's cheek, looking into her eyes. "No, you did everything right, Cam. You did everything just like a good mother should. And my mom understands it perfectly. I believe you even convinced her to love you more than she did before. She sees that you're going to be an excellent mother."

Cameron's expression relaxed and she smiled at him: "So I did the right thing?"

John nodded.

"Then I'll allow her to hold my baby later." Cameron nodded decidedly and looked back at the baby in her arms. Her eyes softened and her lips curled into a beaming smile. "I love you, Allison Lyn."

"I love you too, Allison Lyn." John added before looking at his wife again. "Together we'll make sure that you'll get the best out of your life." He didn't know to whom his words were actually meant ... to Allison Lyn or to Cameron. Maybe to both of them.

TBC

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><p><em>AN_

_Disregard my notes at the beginning of the story about this being a one-shot. I decided to expand it a little bit further and add few more chapters._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks, guys! I definitely didn't expect to receive so much feedback and visits to the story. As I already wrote at the end of the first chapter, the story, which was supposed to be a one-shot, suddenly turned into a multi chaptered one. After I've posted it (actually first chapter), I realized how many possibilities I opened with it and decided that it could be explored a little bit further. I make no promises, but I'll try to write few more chapters. How many? No idea, really!_

_The setting of the story remains the same – "Vacation Universe", after the 'Endgame', meaning that it's absolutely AU, so, please, be warned that the characters are 'out of character'. If you want it that way – kind of a sequel to 'Endgame'._

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><p><strong>Allison Lyn Connor – Chapter 2<strong>

Few days after Cameron and John brought home their adopted daughter and named her Allison Lyn Connor, the baby girl already accepted the fact that she had new parents now. Well, she was only few months old and that fact made everything easier for her as well as for Cameron and John.

Legal questions have all been cleared, of course with substantial John-Henry's help and financial support, provided by Catherine Weaver. Cameron and John, both legal citizens of US were now also legal adoptive parents of little Allison Lyn Connor, whose changed name had also been registered. Of her biological parents only memories, pictures and some documents remained.

During these days it became completely clear that Cameron was quickly turning into a typical overprotective mother. This fact, paired with her nature made her to the toughest mother ever, tougher even than her mother in law. John had to grin at her every time he saw her holding the little girl. She was _so_ _not_ like old Cameron! He sometimes remembered how expressionless she used to be before she admitted to herself that she has emotions.

Sarah admired her cyborg daughter in law and even openly showed it from time to time. Until Allison Lyn, Cameron never so clearly expressed her affection to anyone besides John and seeing her like a happy mother was something very new for the first mother in law in history, having a cyborg daughter in law. Sometimes Sarah remembered for how long John unsuccessfully tried to persuade her that Cameron was different than any other machine. Now even the last shades of doubt had been wiped out. Cameron definitely _was_ different!

Their friends haven't visited them yet. Sure, they already knew about the new baby girl, but John asked them to wait with their visit until everything would be settled; legally as well as emotionally. Today was the day they expected them to visit. He cleared with Cameron that they would invite all of them at the same time. Even though Allison Lyn adapted to her new family very well and accepted them both as well as Sarah and Derek, she still tended to fear the strangers and so her parents decided to make it in one go and not to burden their daughter with multiple visits from different people.

While they waited for their friends to arrive, Cameron walked around the room with Allison Lyn, giggling happily in her arms, as her mother rocked her and sang to her in a soft voice. Tiny hands were swinging in the rhythm of her mother's steps and her brown eyes shone at Cameron with adoration. It was more than obvious that the baby accepted Cameron as the center of her life, as the most important person to her. And Cameron's face glowed while she tenderly sang to her daughter just as well. She also enclosed the little baby in her heart, right next to John.

"You know, I had no idea that you could sing so good."

Cameron turned to look at her husband and stopped singing to beam at him. "I didn't know it either."

John stepped to her and Allison Lyn greeted him happily with gurgling sounds and erratic waving of her arms towards her father. John's face stretched into a beaming smile as he caught one little hand. "Hey there, little one! Is mommy treating you right?"

Allison Lyn's happy face and giggling spoke volumes. She suddenly pulled her hand out of John's, turned abruptly to Cameron and after giving her cyborg mother a short look, threw herself around her neck. Small arms squeezed Cameron's neck, entangling themselves in her long hair and a small face was pressed against her cheek, wetting her completely.

Cameron had absolutely nothing against the fact that Allison Lyn gave her a very wet kiss and pulled at her hair; she just smiled wide while gently pulling her daughter tighter against her and planting a kiss on the top of her head. She resumed singing a song which she sang before.

John looked at her for a moment before he decided to speak. "Do you remember when we first heard this song together?" His eyes wandered beyond infinity as he remembered that special evening at Lake Tahoe as they went to dance and finished with totally devoting themselves to their love, with completely accepting that they were meant for each other.

Cameron nodded at him and stopped singing again. "Yes, I do. It was the most beautiful evening of my life." Even her eyes looked a little misty.

"Where's this little girl who stole Cameron's heart? I want to see her!" Andrea's excited and slightly higher pitched voice interrupted the moment and Cameron and John turned towards the source of the voice.

Andrea, followed by Brian, Tim and Isabel, stormed the room. Her face revealed just how much she was excited. After all … it was an important moment for her friend. She became mother to a beautiful little girl! In a heartbeat, Andrea reached Cameron who now stood still smiling widely at the blonde and protectively enveloping Allison Lyn in her strong arms.

Andrea stopped just short of colliding with mother and daughter, stared at the baby girl in Cameron's arms open-mouthed for a second before she beamed at Cameron. "She's so beautiful!"

Allison Lyn looked at this unknown woman with slightly scrunched face for few moments, her eyes wide but not afraid. Maybe it was Andrea's bubbly appearance maybe her glowing face or her looks … Allison Lyn gazed at her interested and made no effort to hide into her mother's chest. Her face slowly began to stretch into a small smile.

Andrea stammered a little. "May I hold her? Please?" She looked at Cameron pleadingly.

Cameron again felt inexplicably reluctant to give her daughter to someone else, even if it was only for a second, just like she always did whenever she had to give her daughter to someone else, even John or Sarah. But Allison Lyn decided for her. The tiny arms lifted and pointed towards Andrea and she made a satisfied sound.

"You're the first person to gain such a response from her apart from me and John." Cameron's voice made clear that she was surprised over her daughter's reaction.

Andrea didn't answer; she just stretched her arms and received Allison Lyn from slightly reluctant looking Cameron. "I promise I'll be very careful, Cameron."

"You better be!" Cameron's voice wasn't threatening but it made clear that she would keep an eye on Andrea and Allison Lyn.

"Hey, John, how does it feel to be a father?" Tim eyed his friend with unhidden interest, while Isabel joined Andrea and Cameron. Brian, being left behind by Andrea, decided to join the male occupants of the room.

John grinned from ear to ear. "I never knew that it could be so nice." He sighed contentedly and added with evident humor in his voice. "It would be even better if Allison Lyn would at least once sleep through the night."

"I guess she's too young for that." Brian joined the conversation. "I've also heard that very intelligent babies don't need much sleep."

John shook his head in amusement. "I sincerely hope so." Suddenly he looked at Brian suspiciously. "Are you trying to put yourself into my grace?" Then his face lightened again. "No pun intended, Brian! I know exactly what you meant."

Isabel meanwhile joined Andrea and looked at Allison Lyn wistfully.

"Is something wrong, Isabel?" Cameron noticed her look and sounded worried. Ever since they managed to beat Skynet, unfortunately losing her two friends in the process, Isabel was like a sister to her and she always tried to protect her, help her and support her.

Andrea was too occupied cooing at the little girl to notice anything. Allison Lyn was giggling at Andrea satisfied and it looked like she would be quite content in her arms.

Isabel sighed and looked at Cameron smiling. "No, everything's fine. I'm happy for you two, really. It's just …" She broke off for a second before continuing in a soft, barely audible voice. "I would like to be in your place, Cameron. I'd like to have a baby of my own."

Cameron's face lit up in recognition and she smiled at Isabel. "Well, I guess that's something you should discuss with Tim, though. I might not have been able to have my own child, but you …" She trailed off, leaving the end of her thought unspoken. Maybe for the first time since she was together with John, she didn't feel depressed for not being able to bear a child. She already had a little baby girl, being cyborg or not!

"I'm not so sure if he'd agree." Isabel was having second thoughts while her eyes never left the happy smiling face of Allison Lyn, obviously enjoying the attention, Andrea was dedicating to her.

"Oh, I believe he would." Suddenly Andrea responded happily.

Isabel and Cameron both looked at Andrea slightly surprised. They thought that she had been too occupied with the precious load in her arms to listen to them. Well, they have been proved wrong!

"Why would you think so?" Isabel wondered. "I love him very much, but I'm not sure if he's the fatherly type. Especially not now, as he is finishing his studies."

"You might know him good, but I'm his sister and I know him even better. In fact, I know him better than our own parents." Andrea was now serious. "Believe me when I tell you that he'd make a great father. Maybe not right now, but eventually, he'll want to have children."

"You think so?" Isabel sounded hopeful.

"Definitely! You should ask him, really."

"What is my sister putting you up to?" Tim gently whispered into Isabel's ear, suddenly appearing behind her back, surprising everyone but Cameron, who already saw him sneaking up on Isabel from behind.

Isabel had to control herself not to jump in surprise over how he had been able to sneak up on her so successfully and needed few seconds to answer." She's trying to convince me to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Oh, nothing special … just about kids in general and kids in particular." Isabel's eyes once again wandered wistfully towards Allison Lyn, who was still enjoying the attention from Andrea.

Tim furrowed his brows. He understood what Isabel was not telling him and it was a thing he already wanted to talk about with her. "I guess we'll talk about it then. When we get back home."

Isabel's eyes, wide as saucers stared at him and a happy grin slowly crept across her lips. _He didn't say no!_

John meanwhile joined Cameron and put his arm around her waist, listening and watching Tim and Isabel with content smile. _It looks like Allison Lyn is going to have a younger friend soon._ He turned to his wife and noticed her happy smile. "Everything all right, honey?"

The bright face, turning towards him and a gentle nod answered his question. His lips tenderly brushed her forehead and a strengthened grip of her arm around his waist, combined with an adoring look was his reward.

Brian looked a little lost in the midst of all this fuss over a little baby. He might have been a gentle man, but he never was exactly good with little babies and, to be honest, tried to avoid being involved in any activities, concerning such tiny humans. But seeing his fiancée so happy with a little baby in her arms stirred something in him and he suddenly began to ask himself if it really would be so wrong to have a little kid of his own. Sometime!

The visit didn't last for very long. Allison Lyn's wide yawning told Cameron that her daughter was slowly getting tired and it didn't escape Andrea either.

"We should go now, Brian. Allison Lyn is tired and I wouldn't want to burden her with our presence any longer. We can come back soon to see if she's all right."

Although he looked slightly confused for a moment, Brian quickly caught up on what Andrea meant and nodded. "Of course, darling."

After their visitors left, Cameron, John and Allison Lyn remained in the room. Allison Lyn curled contentedly in Cameron's arms and yawned wide while her eyes slowly closed and she dozed off.

"She's so beautiful when she sleeps in your arms. I can't believe that you have such a calming effect on her." John shook his head with a smile while taking his eyes off his daughter and looked at his wife. "Actually, you seem to have such effect on everyone. You're the only one who can chase my nightmares away by just putting your hand on my forehead or your head on my chest."

It took Cameron few seconds to tear her eyes from the tiny human girls, sleeping in her arms and looked at her husband with wide smile. "Maybe she senses how much I love her. And maybe you know even in your dreams what you mean to me."

John looked at his wife wordlessly and he simply couldn't believe that she evolved so far beyond her programming. No one could ever believe that she wasn't human. She felt, she expressed her emotions; her face was animated as any human face. _It's absolutely unbelievable that Skynet made her to be a killer. My Cameron, the most loving mother … a ruthless, mindless killer? Impossible! Skynet would most definitely turn in its grave should it see what became of its masterpiece._

Right in this moment, Sarah and Derek entered the room. They have made themselves rare during the visit, not wanting to add another couple of curious humans around Allison Lyn.

Derek, who slowly relaxed in the past months and was now more like a funny uncle to John and Cameron, accepting that she was here to stay, grinned at the small bundle in Cameron's arms. "When will she learn how to play baseball? I'd like to teach her a thing or two about the game."

"You're definitely not funny, Derek!" Sarah rolled her eyes while Cameron only gave him a murderous look and remained silent. John just shook his head over his uncle, fighting the urge to laugh aloud.

"Sorry. I'm working on it." Derek explained sheepishly, while his eyes fixated Cameron. "How can you find Cameron funny and every time I try to crack a joke, you roll your eyes."

"Because she actually _is_ funny."

Upon hearing his mother's defiant answer, John's fight with the laughter was lost and he laughed aloud. He was still wondering how his metal-hating mom could come to clearly love his cyborg wife, even defying her partner and his uncle over her daughter in law.

Cameron was still not used to such open admissions from her mother in law and looked at Sarah with slightly opened mouth, not really believing that she actually heard her saying she would be funny. To be honest … Cameron believed that she was slowly getting a grip on the whole being funny thing, but she never believed that Sarah would share her opinion.

The only one who didn't express their astonishment was Allison Lyn. And even she wasn't astonished only because she was sleeping soundly, safely tucked in her mother's strong protective arms. She couldn't care less about the discussion of the grown-ups and smiled satisfied in her dreams.

"I should bring Allison Lyn to her crib" Cameron found an unbeatable excuse to leave Derek and Sarah to their private discussion. If there was a thing she definitely didn't like was to hear to the bickering that occasionally happened between Sarah and Derek. And it looked just like it would start again.

"_We_ should bring her there." John reacted immediately, grateful that his wife found such a good reason to leave, gripping it with both hands.

Sarah eyed the young family suspiciously, sensing that they wanted to leave the older couple resolve their small dispute in private, but still not saying anything. She just nodded after taking a quick look at her sleeping granddaughter, realizing that Cameron was right.

It wasn't exactly the escape. But the quickness with which Cameron and John left the room was definitely very close to the very definition of such an action.

"I thought you were not afraid of anything, Cam." John whispered after they were far enough from the door so that neither Sarah nor Derek could hear him.

"There's nothing I'd be afraid of." Cameron answered flatly, but after few seconds she added. "Almost nothing."

John's ears perked up. "So you _are_ afraid of something. And what could it be that frightens my wife, the strongest and toughest person on this planet?"

"Losing you or Allison Lyn." Cameron's answer was kept short, but the voice clearly expressed how she felt about such a possibility.

John suddenly felt embarrassed. _I should have known what the only thing that Cameron could be afraid of is!_ He gently grabbed her elbow and stopped.

Cameron stopped and gave him a confused look, after she carefully checked upon her daughter. "John?"

"I'm sorry Cameron. I should not have asked such a stupid question. Look … I can't promise I'll live forever, because I won't. But I can promise you, you'll never lose me." His soft voice and eyes, staring into Cameron's brown pools revealed to her just how much he really meant the words.

Cameron's eyes searched his face for a second before she smiled at him. "And I promise you you'll never lose me either."

A soft yawn from the youngest member of the Connor family reminded her parents that they were going to put her into her crib and tuck her in.

"We should really bring her to our room."

Cameron only nodded in response to John's words and they hurried towards their quarters.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you for your response to the second chapter. I'm really glad that you liked it._

_Few things about the story should be explained though. It is going to describe some important moments in Allison Lyn's life. There will be time jumps of few years between separate chapters, which will not be covered. I'll try to concentrate on developing the character of a little Connor girl and her influence on Cameron and John too (actually her impact on anyone, coming in contact with her). Especially I'd like to explore the possible development of Cameron's and John's relationship, based on the fact that they are now parents. Would they change for the better? Would they change at all?_

_This chapter is already one of such – few years between the last and this chapter aren't going to be described or mentioned. I leave that to your imagination._

_First family trip is a very serious issue for a young girl. Especially for a daughter of the cyborg girl from the future and a savior of the mankind. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Allison Lyn Connor – Chapter 3<strong>

"Are you ready, mommy?" Allison Lyn dashed from her room down the stairs towards the dining room, yelling at the top of her lungs to gain attention of her mother, who was nowhere to be seen, dragging the oversized bag behind her, letting it bump at every stair like a jo-jo, making a THUMP! every time it bounced from a step. She needed only few seconds to descend the complete flight of stairs and continued her wild chase of … well, of something only she knew what … towards the dining room.

Today was the day they would finally go to the promised one day trip to San Diego to visit Sea World and few other attractions. At least that's what her daddy and mommy promised her quite a while ago. Allison Lyn didn't doubt for even a second they wouldn't fulfill their promise. They always did, they never forgot what they promised her. She was so looking forward to finally see whales, dolphins, seals and other marine animals in reality not just on the TV screen.

"Where are you? MOMMY, DADDY!" Allison Lyn's yelling finally gained desired effect as Cameron quickly strolled into the dining room, dressed in her usual warrior queen outfit, consisting of jeans, boots, tank top and leather jacket. There might not be any imminent danger from their archenemy, Skynet, but she still preferred such clothing style, especially if they were going out, somewhere, where there could be potential dangers to her daughter and husband. And her jacket was still purple…

"You shouldn't yell so aloud, Allison Lyn. You're going to wake up Uncle Derek." Cameron's voice was just flat enough to gain her daughter's attention and amused enough to show that she enjoyed teasing the youngest member of the Connor family.

Upon hearing her mother's words, Allison Lyn's eyes widened in sudden horror. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want him to be in a bad mood." Even at the tender age of 4 years, she already knew that Uncle Derek was not exactly the type to wake up in a good mood if something disturbed his sleep.

"It's a little too late for that, grasshopper!" Derek appeared in the door, his still sleepy appearing face scrunched in a grimace to show the little girl that he was not amused over her yelling and waking up the whole house. However, he couldn't keep the straight face for long, as he saw her wide eyes, staring at him and her mouth, opened in horror. "Why the hell are you yelling like a banshee?"

Allison Lyn noticed that Uncle Derek was not as angry as he pretended to be, so she drew a beeline to him and hugged his right knee. "I'm so sorry, Uncle Derek. I didn't mean to wake you up, really, really. I swear!" She gave him the most innocent look she could muster, the one she learned from her mother and actually managed to develop it further. With such look, she managed to get her way even with her normally so unmovable and determined mother. Everyone else had no chance resisting her when she applied it.

Derek couldn't help but melt at the sight of the little girl hugging his knee fiercely. Two huge brown eyes, very similar to Cameron's ones gazed at him like a lost puppy and the halo of brown locks around the pretty face made him weak every time the little girl wanted it. He grinned at her and ruffled her hair. "I know, Ally. I'm not mad at you."

"Her name is Allison Lyn, not Ally." Cameron felt the need to clarify the issue, even though she knew it was futile. Derek decided to call her daughter either Ally or, worse even, grasshopper. So she just sighed and rolled her eyes in fake annoyance.

"I don't mind if he calls me Ally, mommy." Allison Lyn now let go of Derek's leg and turned towards her mother. Her eyes shone at the female cyborg with unhidden adoration and love. She loved her mother dearly, even though she now knew that Cameron and John were not her biological parents. However, she was still kept in the dark about the true nature of her beloved mother. Cameron and John decided to tell her a little later, not just right now. Regardless of the love, the girl showed for her mother, Cameron still feared the moment she would find out that she wasn't human and no persuasion from John could chase those fears away. So she couldn't decide to tell her. Yet.

"Am I missing something?" John entered the scene, carrying his rucksack over one shoulder and a content smile on his face. As soon as Allison Lyn noticed his arrival, she literally threw herself towards him.

"DADDY!" Her very loud exclamation caused Cameron to frown slightly. _Maybe I should tune my hearing a little down? If she continues yelling like this, I'll have to._

"Hi there, pumpkin!" John greeted the enthusiastic girl just as happily while trying to balance the rucksack and the small brown haired projectile, hitting his legs with all force at the same time, which proved to be quite a demanding task, even for the incognito hero of the humankind, the one who managed to destroy the gravest danger to humanity ever, but never got the deserved credit for his deeds.

Cameron sighed exasperatedly. "Grasshopper, pumpkin, Ally … Isn't anyone going to call her by her real name?" Her voice was laced with fake annoyance, while her eyes smiled at the sight before her.

Allison Lyn clutched at John's knees firmly, holding him in a vice like grip, while John ruffled her hair with one hand. His other one still tried to hold the rucksack and prevent it from crashing on the floor. The bag, which Allison Lyn dragged from her room, was lying forgotten in the middle of the room so Cameron strolled over to pick it up. She knew the other present members of Connor family good enough to be sure no one would do it without being reminded and reprimanded a few times. She stood with the bag in her hands, looking challengingly at Derek and John.

"Nope!" The answer came almost in unison from both men in the room. A soon as they'd said it, John looked at his uncle and chuckled quietly, before turning to Cameron, who was now standing inches from him, looking at him with tilted head. _When did she come so close? I never noticed her moving!_

"Hello, Mrs. Connor. Long time no see."

"Let me think … about one minute and twenty four seconds." Cameron grinned at her husband and stretched to him to capture his lips in a tender kiss.

"Oh well, maybe not that long, but definitely _too_ long."

"Mommy! Daddy!" Allison Lyn's impatient voice took care that they wouldn't get lost in their emotions. Again! The girl knew exactly what could happen to her parents, should she allow them to drift into their own world, world, where even she had no saying.

Sarah in the meantime entered the room too and leaned against Derek, who stood at the wall, looking at the young family in front of him. "Same as always?" She turned to Derek and asked in a soft, amused voice, while her lips slowly curled upwards.

"Just like every day." Derek nodded before turning to Sarah and giving her a kiss. "You know … I believe that this family really changed everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple … the John I knew in the future was a broken man. But this one …" His chin pointed in the direction of John, who was still kissing his wife. "He's exactly the opposite. He might have already beaten Skynet, at least temporarily, but he never gained the bitterness and coldness, both of which the John I knew, possessed in abundance. I can't believe that I'm going to say it but … maybe Cameron is responsible that he remained so human, so warm. She and the little bunny."

Cameron of course heard everything Derek said and her eyebrows knitted together for a split second. _Bunny_? But she ignored it … at least for the time being.

Sarah took a good, long look at her son, who was now standing there, flanked by his two girls; OK, a cyborg girl and a real girl and left out a soft moan. "He's all grown up now. He might be young, but that's not a boy anymore. Maybe you're right, Derek."

"OK, mom, Derek, we're off to Sea World now." John finally managed to tear himself from kissing his wife and after having significant difficulties to turn his eyes away from the misty brown pools … _How can she have so expressive eyes? Is she really not human? …_ turned to Sarah. "We'll probably be very late, so don't wait for us."

Sarah nodded and already opened her mouth to say something, but reconsidered. "Have fun, guys!"

"We will, definitely." John grinned from ear to ear.

Allison Lyn meanwhile picked up her big bag and dragged it towards the door, just to be stopped by Cameron, who eyed the oversized bag suspiciously. "What have you packed in there, Allison Lyn?"

"Just the really necessary stuff, mommy. Something to wear, something to eat and something to play with." Allison Lyn's voice was dead serious, but a slight shade of mischievousness on her face revealed to Cameron that there was more to the matter than her daughter just told her. Cameron just didn't know _what_.

Cameron shook her head slightly, noticing that the bag obviously weighted quite few kilograms, so she decided to inspect the contents. "May I see?"

"Sure!" Allison Lyn had absolutely nothing against her bag being inspected by her mommy. Indeed, she believed that if her mommy found the bag too heavy, she'd pick it up and carry it to the car.

As soon as Cameron pulled the zipper on the bag, a quite big fluffy bear fell out. "So, this is the necessary stuff, Allison Lyn?" She smiled at her daughter while picking up the bear. It was the bear she bought her daughter few months ago as they were in the mall and her daughter simply wouldn't allow her to leave the store without getting the bear, she fixed in the first moment they entered the shop. The fluffy animal immediately became Allison Lyn's favorite plaything and she never went anywhere without it.

"Sure! Lesley would also like to see the animals in Sea World." Allison Lyn crossed her arms behind her back and gave Cameron a nice pout, while pivoting from side to side.

"Oh, come on, Cam! We promised her to take her to Sea World and if Lesley wants to go too, we should just take him with." John joined Cameron and laid his arm around her waist while gently nuzzling at her neck.

Cameron gave him a barely tolerable look, but smiled almost instantly. "I never said he couldn't come with us." She then quickly inspected the contents of the bag, finding nothing out of order, so she stuffed the bear back and lifted the bag. "So ...shall we go?"

Allison Lyn nodded vigorously and skipped merrily towards the door, completely forgetting the bag, which was now safely tucked in mommy's strong hands.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Look, mommy, there's a whale!" Allison Lyn's excited voice caused Cameron to almost flinch, so loud was the girl's exclamation. At the same time the little Connor girl pulled at her hand vigorously, trying to run towards the pool in which a big orca slowly ploughed through the water. The animal just came out of the water to take a breath and the sound of it made Allison Lyn aware that something was going on and look in the direction.

The eyes of the little girl shone like diamonds and she grinned from ear to ear as she resolutely pulled at Cameron's hand, trying to get closer to the pool, to take a good look at the giant sea mammal.

Cameron smiled happily at the enthusiasm of her daughter and allowed her to guide her towards the pool. Once they arrived there, Allison Lyn running and Cameron just walking quickly, the little girl gazed at the orca with big eyes for few seconds before turning towards her mother. "It's huge, mommy! What did it eat to grow so big?"

Cameron just opened her mouth to give her daughter an answer, as a voice from nearby interfered. "It eats a lot of fish, little miss."

Cameron and Allison Lyn in unison turned towards a man, who answered the girl's question. It was a man in his late twenties or early thirties, dark blonde hair and blue eyes, leaning against the fence around the pool. However, his eyes were not turned towards the pool or Allison Lyn. He gazed at Cameron with a greedy look, clearly smitten by the beautiful cyborg girl.

"Hello, girls. Would you like to know something more about the animals here? I'm quite familiar with all of them."

"Would you be employed here to have such extensive knowledge about marine animals?" Cameron was getting better in perfectly reacting to other people's remarks and a certain note of irony could be heard in her voice while she raised an eyebrow at him. In the last years she really managed to read the hidden expressions of humans and the expression, this man had on his face, was quite clearly one she didn't like. Not at all! Not that she would be afraid of him, but she definitely didn't like the way he was looking at her, as if he would want to swallow her by just looks.

The man grinned and shook his head. "No, but I come here often and it's my profession to know a lot about marine life forms, being a marine biologist." He clearly expected that his statement would make an impression on the young looking beautiful girl, who, nevertheless, was obviously a mother already. But her daughter seemed cute enough. However, the mother looked simply stunning and he was really trying to get closer to her.

Allison Lyn just stared at the man. She was also, just like her mother, already quite good at detecting people with strange intentions and this man clearly had something odd in mind with her mommy. Suddenly she felt like she should protect her mommy, although she knew that she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. "Let's go, mommy." She pulled at Cameron's hand and gave the man a dark look.

"Hey, little munchkin. Everything OK?" John strolled towards them casually, carrying two ice cream cones in one hand. As soon as he reached them, he kissed Cameron on the cheek passionately and offered her one of the ice creams. "Here honey. Chocolate. Your favorite." Then he bowed to Allison Lyn. "And M&M's for you." He kissed the crown of his daughter's head and then turned towards the man, who was clearly surprised that the girl, he was ogling, had a man and he gave John a slightly strained smile, nodded and vanished.

"I guess that you two can handle such jerks alone, right?" John grinned amused at his wife. However, he didn't fail to notice how his little daughter tried to protect her mommy from the intrusive stranger.

Cameron smiled while licking the ice cream with clear enjoyment on her face. "Allison Lyn decided that he was not a pleasant person."

"Of course not!" Allison Lyn's voice was clearly angry. "He was trying to hit on my mommy. No one may do it! Just you!" She smiled at John.

Cameron's eyes grew wide upon hearing her daughter's words and she stopped her pleasant occupation of licking the tasty ice cream to gape at the little girl. "Where did you learn such language Allison Lyn?"

The youngest Connor suddenly felt a little embarrassed and she looked at the ground, slightly shuffling her foot. "Uncle Derek taught me." Then she looked up at her mommy with big innocent eyes. Her voice was quiet, but Cameron heard it perfectly.

"I should have known that he would teach her some stupid things." John shook his head in disbelief, before his lips stretched into a grin again. "However …"

"No however, John!" Cameron cut him off with angry scowl on her face. "She's too young to know such things." Her voice was clearly annoyed with the fact that Derek obviously taught her daughter something she shouldn't have know about yet, but even more so that her husband, Allison Lyn's father, obviously didn't find it wrong.

John knew better than to discuss the issue with Cameron. She was the one to take care of raising their daughter and teaching her what she should know. And even though he did his part in her upbringing, he was still not exactly familiar with what girls in her age should know and what not. _Strange! I'm the human in this pair and I still leave the most human decision about upbringing of our daughter to my wife, who just happens to be a cybernetic organism from the future._

"I'm not supporting it, Cam! But what's done is done and we can't undo it. Right?" He gave her a sheepish look.

Cameron almost smiled at John's guilty expression. Almost! But she managed to maintain her angry scowl. "I guess that we'll have to cut down the time she spends with Derek alone."

Allison Lyn was quietly following the discussion, feeling guilty to have caused the disagreement between her parents. "I'm sorry, mommy. I won't say it again."

Her words stroke Cameron like lightning. She instantly realized that she probably overreacted to a simple phrase. Besides, her daughter was obviously just trying to protect her beloved mommy. She crouched to be at least near the height of her daughter and put her hand on the little cheek, staring into the brown eyes, so alike her own, which gazed at her guiltily. "No, Allison Lyn, _I'm_ sorry for overreacting." She kissed the little girl on the forehead and as she pulled back, her face glowed with unhidden love for the small human child, she called her daughter.

Allison Lyn instantly brightened up and she beamed at Cameron. "He was not a nice man, right mommy? Daddy's the only one who can touch and kiss you. And me!"

Cameron now definitely lost her battle to remain serious and she hugged her baby not really knowing should she laugh or cry from joy and finally settling for laughing. "Exactly, baby. Just daddy and you." She leaned backwards a little. "Give me a kiss?"

Allison Lyn needed no further encouragement. She launched herself at her mommy, forgetting the ice cream cone in her hand. Luckily, John was following her actions and quickly grabbed the cone, which almost fell to the floor. But Allison Lyn couldn't care less. She was hanging around Cameron's neck and she kissed her mommy loudly. "I love you, mommy!"

"And I love you, baby." Cameron whispered in the child's ear deeply touched.

Few minutes later, they all slowly strolled along the pool to watch the dolphins. Allison Lyn was again running in front of the couple, while Cameron and John slowly followed their daughter, hugged closely.

"She really adores you, you know?" John softly turned to Cameron. He still couldn't believe that Allison Lyn loved Cameron so much.

Cameron nodded. "And I adore her too." She whispered back, before looking at her husband. "I never believed I could love anyone but you. And yet … I love her just as much."

"Should I be jealous?" John's amused voice revealed that he didn't mean it seriously.

Cameron gave him barely tolerable look. "Joooohn!" She deliberately stretched his name. She caught up on John's little teasing but decided that payback is exactly what he should receive in answer. _How can he think even for a moment that my love for him could be any less because of our daughter?_

"I know, I know, darling. It was just a stupid remark." He gave her a kiss on the cheek, which caused her face to brighten again.

For next few seconds they walked in silence, before John broke it again. "She's a real Connor."

Cameron looked at him slightly confused. _How could she be a real Connor when she's adopted?_ "What do you mean?"

John grinned before answering. "It seems that the most important task that any Connor has is to protect you. And she just tried to protect you from that guy. She might be only four, but she already feels that her mommy is worth going lengths to be kept safe. She takes after me in that aspect."

Cameron scrutinized her husband for few moments before answering. "But it was meant the other way around. I should be the one protecting you and Allison Lyn now. How can I fulfill my mission if you both make it so difficult for me?"

"Are you really still hanging on to that stuff? Mission? Programming?" John shook his head in dismay. "We both know that you're no more slave to your programming that you're a free person, choosing what you want to do."

"It will always be my mission to protect my family, John. Not programmed, but chosen mission." Cameron's voice was deadly serious. She wanted to make John clear that she would never abandon her self-chosen mission to do anything possible to protect him and now also Allison Lyn; mission, not written down in her programming, but made out of her emotions, out of her love for him. She realized how lucky she actually was: she could choose her own missions, she could love and she could feel. Definitely not something Skynet intended her to be capable of. All the things that made her more human than machine.

John sensed that this was a very important issue for his wife. Ever since they were together, she learned how to adapt to given circumstances and sometimes take a step back from her convictions, but in this specific case she wouldn't budge a millimeter. So he just gently smiled at her. "I understand Cam. But you also have to understand that I also have chosen a mission to protect you. And I would never step back from fulfilling this mission."

Cameron wasn't exactly satisfied with his words, but she knew that, just like her, he wouldn't budge from there, so she smiled back at him, nodding.

"Mommy, daddy! Look, the dolphins are taking the fish from your hand!" Allison Lyn was again mesmerized by the sight in front of her, where people at the pool were feeding the dolphins with small fish.

John looked around and spotted a small kiosk where he could buy few fish to feed the dolphins. "Wait a second, Allison Lyn. You'll feed them too." He grinned at his daughter and hurried towards the small hut to buy some fish.

"Really?" Allison Lyn's eyes were big as saucers as she gazed at Cameron. "Will they take fish from me too?" Excitement slowly crept into her voice.

"Of course, darling! They'll love to be fed by you!" Cameron reassured her and took her hand. "Just wait until daddy's back." She looked at the crowd at the pool and noticed a free spot at the fence. "Let's get there so that you'll be able to reach to them."

They took their positions and instantly a dolphin appeared in front of them. "Look, mommy, one is already here!" Allison Lyn giggled happily, trying to stretch her arm so far that she could touch the dolphin's head.

Just as she tried to touch the animal's head, John appeared from behind and offered her a small tray with few fish on it. "Offer him one of these. He'll allow you to touch him."

Allison Lyn was completely mesmerized by the dolphin in front of her and as she picked up a fish, offering it to the waiting animal, it inched even closer. She dropped the fish into his gaping maw which closed instantly, just to open again. The girl giggled enthusiastically and reached for the dolphin's head again, this time actually making a contact with his skin. She caressed the head gently and her face exploded in a huge smile.

Cameron and John were enjoying her happiness as much as she did. They looked at each other over their daughter's head and nodded in unison while smiling. _It was definitely worth it!_ Probably the same thought shot through John's brain and Cameron's chip. They have had some rough times in the past, they have been on the verge of despair more than once, they have been on the edge of existence very often, but Allison Lyn made everything worthwhile.

Suddenly Cameron decided to try something. The dogs still didn't like her especially and all other animals had a very reserved attitude towards her. How about this dolphin? She slowly stretched her arm and carefully laid her hand on the dolphin's hand. The marine mammal didn't even flinch, it just remained still, awaiting another fish.

Cameron's big eyes, expressing her astonishment turned towards her husband. John was carefully looking at the dolphin, before he turned towards his wife and smiled at her relieved. "It's a smart animal! It knows you're not a threat and accepts you for who you are."

Cameron beamed back at him. In this moment she definitely felt like she would belong into this world of flesh and blood beings, like she could be a part of humanity.

XXXXXXXXXX

Many hours later they were on their way back to L.A. Allison Lyn was sleeping soundly in her child seat in the back of the SUV while John munched at some chips, feet propped against the dashboard and enjoying the serene drive through the now completely dark landscape.

Cameron, vigilant as ever, didn't want John to drive them back home, stating that he was too tired to drive safely. Actually, John didn't even oppose her too seriously. He knew that the day wore him out. Well, maybe not the day, but being on his feet and running after his hyper active daughter got to him, so he had nothing against Cameron driving them home. If there was one driver on the planet whom he trusted unconditionally, then it was his wife.

"I believe that we made our munchkin very happy today, don't you think so?" After a long drive in silence, John decided that it was time to say something.

Cameron mustered him slightly suspicious, but this time didn't comment on his diminutive name for their daughter. "I believe we did."

John gazed through the windshield, deeply in thoughts about something and needed few moments to return to reality. He turned towards Cameron and looked at her for a second before opening his mouth. "You know … as strange as it seems. I think that Allison Lyn actually changed us. For the better. I always loved you, respected you, but now … now I think I also understand you much better. You became such a wonderful mother that I find it almost unbelievable. OK, Allison Lyn helped us a lot. She's such a sweet child."

A slight frown on Cameron's face revealed that she was considering something very important. "Funny. I feel the same about you. Seeing you as a father changed and deepened my perspectives and gave me insight into you that I didn't have before." Then she brightened up, took her eyes from the road for a second to look at her husband and give him a beaming smile. "I think that Allison Lyn brought out the best in us."

John only nodded in confirmation of Cameron's words. He couldn't agree more with her.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks guys! I really appreciate your reviews and especially the fact that there are still people out there who find this story worth reading._

_Last time we saw how Allison Lyn made her first field trip with her adoptive parents. Probably some of you asked yourselves why they still keep her in dark about her mother's true nature. I really have no idea, but this chapter is going to change that._

* * *

><p><strong>Allison Lyn Connor – Chapter 4<strong>

"Cameron? Are you fidgeting?"

"No, I am not! I'm just a little … nervous? Is that a correct word?"

"Sure it is! But you're still fidgeting!"

Cameron shot John a murderous look, one, who would freeze blood in his veins a few years ago. But now he knew that she was just trying to act as human as possible, even by showing him how she was annoyed over his remarks and there was nothing cold behind those beautiful brown eyes of hers, regardless of the stare he was right now at the receiving end of. He even found it cute how she could show her annoyance with simple looks and expressions.

Today was the day they were going to explain to Allison Lyn the truth about her mother. And Cameron was definitely downplaying her emotions when she said she would be a little nervous. She was more than just a little nervous. She was frightened and was actually fidgeting in her seat next to John.

**Few hours ago …**

"Cameron, it will be OK! She will still love you!"

Cameron hung her head and allowed John to take her hands and gently glide his thumbs across her knuckles. "Do you really believe that, John?" She looked at him with big eyes in which sadness, fear and hope mixed in equal intensity.

They decided to tell Allison that her mommy was a machine and Cameron was reluctant to believe everything was going to be all right after her daughter knew that the person she clearly accepted as her mommy was not human.

John sighed. They have been discussing this topic for more than an hour now and he was slowly getting impatient. No matter how much he loved Cameron, he couldn't understand that she was being so stubborn in her conviction Allison Lyn would deject her after finding out about her. "Look, Cameron! First: she loves you deeply and it won't change just because you're not human. Hell, even my mom learned to love you, even though she had always been the most passionate machine hater ever." He stopped for a moment, thinking about something then grinned barely perceptively. "Well, Derek could top her hate but even he learned to like you. Second: Ally never heard of killer machines, she never saw the terminators and she has no idea what Skynet is. For her, machines are just a part of her life." He grinned as he remembered how his daughter liked a small robot Cameron bought her few months ago. "Just think of how she treats Mr. Robbie!"

Cameron looked into her husband's eyes and involuntarily grinned slightly. She had been with Allison Lyn in a mall as she saw the little robot, running around in the store, bumping into buyer's feet and apologized in metallic voice every time it occurred, quickly scurrying away, just to bump into someone else.

In that moment she had an idea. If Allison Lyn, who was looking at the small machine almost enchanted, could see that robots and machines are good and funny, she might not be averted to her after she'd find out about what was under her mommy's skin.

"Would you like to have this robot, Allison Lyn?" She bowed to her daughter, who couldn't tear her eyes from the little scurrying and talking machine.

"Really? I could have him?" Allison Lyn's eyes were big and a hint of surprise in them told Cameron that she would. She noticed that her daughter named the little machine 'him' instead of 'it'. _Maybe this could work?_

"Of course, Allison Lyn. I think he's sweet."

They got the little robot and before they returned home, Allison Lyn already named him as Mr. Robbie.

Hope reflected in Cameron's eyes and John finally got the impression he was getting through her thick skull and was slowly beginning to persuade her everything would be all right. He smiled at her reassuringly. "Right, Cameron! You made the right decision to have gotten that toy. Now Ally really accepts that even machines can be friendly and lovable."

Despite the fact that she was slowly warming to the idea that letting her daughter know wasn't such a big mistake, Cameron was still far from being persuaded. "No one liked me before."

John looked offended. "That's not true! I always liked you!" A sideways glance he received from his wife and slightly raised eyebrow caused him to almost flinch and hurriedly explain further. "Yeah, I know! I didn't show it then. But deep down I have not only liked, but probably loved you from the first moment I saw you." Then he straightened up a bit. "Besides … that's not the point, Cameron. Tell me, who dislikes you now?"

An argument, Cameron had problems denying. In fact, everyone liked her; the ones who knew what she was and the ones, who had no idea of her mechanical nature as well. So she scrunched her face in not exactly convincing display of her dissatisfaction. "OK, but that doesn't mean that Alli …"

"_Yes, it does!_" John cut her off with now clearly impatient voice, but calmed down almost immediately. "I'm sorry Cam. I didn't mean to yell at you it's just … I'm sick and tired of you playing down your importance every time it comes to this. Ally is a very smart kid and she loves you unconditionally. She will perhaps be stunned for a moment, but she'll definitely love you just as much after we tell her. Have faith in her!"

**Back to present …**

"Mommy, daddy!" A happy yell from the door preceded the appearance of a six year old Allison Lyn, who dashed across the room like a small whirlwind towards her parents. Sarah, who brought her here, remained standing at the door and gave John an understanding nod. He had told her before that today they would tell Allison Lyn about the true nature of her mommy and she took the little girl out for few hours, allowing Cameron and John to prepare for the probably most difficult task in their lives.

John nodded back and saw how his mother disappeared, closing the door behind her. No matter how much she had fought with herself to accept Cameron in the past, she now felt her fear and tenseness, like only a parent could. Cameron might have been sent to them from the future, she might be a cyborg, an artificial form of life, but now she was like a daughter to Sarah. _I've come a long way from hating tin miss like any other terminator! Gee, I'm now even thinking of her in terms of daughter! Not daughter in law, but daughter! Am I still the Sarah Connor I used to be? Or am I turning into a mushy, gooey granny, falling for every trick that my granddaughter and her cyborg mommy play on me? _She sighed and shook her head in defeat, knowing that she was both, but liked the latter more.

Allison Lyn was meanwhile already nestled between her parents, not knowing how to enclose them both simultaneously into her affection, trying to tell them everything she saw on her trip to the mall together with granny Sarah, failing to notice the blank face of her mother.

Cameron instantly went rigid as she heard her daughter coming back home. Her face lost all expression and once again, probably for the first time in years, she was just sitting stock still and her face revealed absolutely nothing. A perfect terminator face!

John meanwhile hugged his daughter and cast Cameron a quick glance. He saw her rigid posture, her hands, neatly folded in her lap and he could see that she was scared. No, scared was not the right expression. She was terrified! He knew that he should begin so he sighed deeply, before he turned to his daughter: "Allison Lyn? Mommy and I, we have something very important to tell you."

Allison Lyn stopped her hurried talking in an instant and her eyes shot from his father's serious face towards her mother's totally blank face. "Mommy?" Her voice was tiny, almost frightened. She never saw her mommy like this before.

Cameron's virtual heart tore at the sound of her daughter's voice. Her face suddenly scrunched in a tormented mask. "I'm sorry, Allison Lyn."

Allison Lyn's face lost its merry expression and her eyes instantly filled with tears. "Mommy?" _What would my mommy be sorry for? Is something wrong?_

Seeing her daughter's teary eyes, Cameron's eyes became dangerously wet too. "Allison Lyn, we really have to tell you something. But … don't ever forget that I love you! No matter what, that will never change!" She enveloped her daughter in a tight hug, feeling her small arms encircling her back. She inhaled deeply … _what a human gesture, completely unnecessary! _… "Ally, don't _ever_ forget how much I love you. No matter what!"

Allison Lyn felt conflicted. _Why does my mommy speak so strange? I know that she loves me! And why did she use a nickname for me? She always calls me Allison Lyn! _She tightened her grip on Cameron. "I love you mommy. I know you're not my biological mother, but I love you. I really do!"

_What a tear jerker!_ Even John felt his eyes becoming wet as he looked at his two women, two women that meant life to him. He reached for them and pulled them both simultaneously in a hug. "Oh, dear!" Cameron's use of diminutive didn't escape his attention and he understood that this was extremely important for Cameron. She had never before used a nickname for their daughter. As a matter of fact, she always showed that she disliked when they all used different forms of nicknames for the little girl.

For a second all three remained hugged, and then John slowly tore himself away from this expression of family love. He leaned backwards and took a deep breath before speaking. "Ally, you might have noticed that your mommy is much stronger than an ordinary mommy. Right?"

Allison Lyn looked thoughtful for a moment. She remembered then how her mommy often displayed strength that was clearly not like the strength of mommies of her friends. She nodded towards her daddy, still not understanding what he wanted to tell. Her mommy was unique! She was _her mommy!_

John noticed that Allison Lyn obviously caught on his train of thoughts. He cast a quick glance at Cameron, who held her daughter and gazed at her husband with slightly red rimmed eyes and nodded to her encouragingly. "The thing is … your mommy is very special. _Very special!"_

Allison Lyn nodded again. _Of course she is special_!

"Do you like Mr. Robbie?"

His daughter looked at John incomprehensibly. She definitely didn't understand this sudden change of topic. But after few moments she answered with voice, clearly showing that she found the question stupid. "Of course I do!" Her furrowed eyebrows clearly showed John that she didn't understand what he wanted to say.

"Even though he is a machine and not human?" John drilled further with his questions.

It took Alison Lyn only a split second to answer. "Why wouldn't I like him? It doesn't matter that he is a machine!"

Cameron's eyes lit up slightly at this exclamation of her daughter and hope began to creep into her mind, hope that her daughter would accept her regardless of the knowing about her true nature.

John smiled tenderly at his daughter and lifted his eyes to look into Cameron's face before speaking. "So, you don't care if someone is a machine and not human if you like them? What about when they would love you? Would you still like them? Maybe even love them?"

Allison Lyn thought for a moment before answering. "I would. If they're good then I'd like them." She didn't even think to ask how a machine could feel love.

John sighed and decided to drop the bomb. "What if I told you that your mommy is a machine?"

Allyson Lyn's mouth fell open and she needed few moments to answer. "But … but … she can't be a machine! She has skin and no metal! And she's my mommy!" She turned her eyes towards her mommy to get reassurance. But the look in Cameron's eyes told her that it was probably true. "Mommy?" A tiny voice, begging for reassurance was all she managed.

Cameron's non-existent heart literally broke at the sight of her daughter in distress. She enveloped the little girl in her arms and whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry Ally. But what your daddy said is true. I am a machine. I have been made to look like a human, but inside I'm a machine. I have bones made of metal and my brain is a computer chip."

Allison Lyn pulled out of Cameron's embrace and leaned backwards, gazing at her intently.

Cameron felt almost intimidated by her daughter's look and she waited for few seconds. She felt how her anxiousness and fear that her daughter might now reject her rose exponentially. After Allison Lyn still didn't say anything, she whispered tentatively. "Allison Lyn?" _Please, don't let her reject me! Please!_

But the girl still stared at the female cyborg with blank face. Even John almost flinched at the look, she was giving her mother and suddenly he asked himself if the decision to tell her hadn't been wrong. What if she would now reject Cameron? He had no idea how this would affect his wife, but he knew it wouldn't be nice. Cameron loved her daughter just as much as she loved him and it would be a terrible shock to her, should she lose her love.

Few more moments passed before Allison Lyn asked with flat voice. "Are you still my mommy? Do you still love me?"

Cameron nodded eagerly and almost subconsciously reached for her baby. "I am and will always be your mommy, Ally! I love you more than you can imagine."

A second passed … another … and another. Then Allison Lyn's face exploded in a smile and she flung herself into Cameron's arms. "Then everything's OK!"

John let out a breath he didn't even knew he had been holding. The burning in his lungs told him he did it for a significant time. A ragged sound of air exiting his lungs spoke volumes about his pent up emotions. _I had absolutely no idea that I could hold breath for such a long time!_ He saw Cameron's face stretch in a beautiful smile and tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. He grinned from ear to ear and nodded to his wife vigorously.

Cameron felt like a massive rock would have just fallen from her heart. Her fears were unnecessary, her daughter accepted her as a machine. She was still her mommy and her baby was still in her arms. She knew that there would be some serious discussions later, but for the time being, she was satisfied.

They remained silent for few minutes, Cameron just enjoying the fact that the shadow of her secret no longer hung over her head and holding her daughter in her arms.

Allison Lyn on the other side cuddled into her mommy's arms and squeezed her tight. She didn't find it strange that she was a machine. As John already expected, the little girl had only positive experiences with the machines, she had never been taught that they were the enemy and she found it intriguing that her mommy was really that special. _I bet no one of my friends has so special mommy!_ She didn't even consider the fact that a machine could be so convincingly human that no one would notice it. Not yet!

After a short period of comfortable silence, Allison Lyn leaned back from the embrace and looked into Cameron's eyes, which were now dry and smiling at her daughter. "Mommy? Can I tell my friends that you are a machine?"

Cameron's face instantly became distraught, but john beat her to answering. "No, Allison Lyn, you shouldn't tell anyone that your mommy is a machine. You see, there are bad people out there, people who would like to study her and would do horrible things to her if they ever found out that she is a machine." He decided not to tell her that her mommy had already been studied by some bad guys before and barely escaped alive.

Allison Lyn nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. "What about granny Sarah? May I tell her? She's nice and wouldn't hurt my mommy."

"Of course, pumpkin! But she already knows it. As well as uncle Derek, Andrea, Tim, Isabel and Brian. You can talk to them about your mommy being a machine and they will explain to you just how special she is."

Allison Lyn's eyes narrowed on her daddy. "Everybody knows it? Why hadn't you told me before?"

"I was afraid you might not want me to be your mommy anymore. Many people hated me when they found out." Cameron's voice was tiny, vulnerable and she looked at her daughter with huge eyes.

Furrowing her brows, Allison Lyn answered. "Why wouldn't I want you to be my mommy? I love you. You're …" She thought for a moment, trying to find an appropriate expression, but found none, so she shrugged and finished her thought. "You're my mommy!"

The smile on Cameron's face equaled the one John saw only once before … in Canada, as they had gotten married. He reached out for his two women and enveloped them both in a group hug.

"Daddy!" Allison Lyn's exasperated voice made him chuckle. He released his daughter from the hug and looked at her furrowed brows. "I'm not a lemon! Don't squeeze me like one!"

John's chuckles and Cameron's giggles made it clear that the possible crisis in their family relationship had been successfully circumnavigated. The secret that could have torn them apart had been revealed with no effect at all. However, both adults knew that questions would arise later and not only pleasant ones.

"Didn't I tell you?" John whispered in Cameron's ear and squeezed her tighter to him to emphasize the words.

Rolling her eyes in response, Cameron gave her husband a smile, clearly revealing what she thought about his remark. Unnecessary!

Suddenly Allison Lyn remembered that she had no actual proof that her mommy was a machine. "Mommy? Can you do … something different than daddy?"

Cameron's eyes revealed how confused she was hearing this question. "What do you mean, Allison Lyn?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know. Just something to show me that you're really a machine."

Now it was clear to Cameron what her daughter meant. She couldn't possibly cut herself to show her the metal beneath her flawless skin, but she could do something else. Something, she already did a few times, for the first time way back to convince Terissa Dyson that the machines were back. She cast a quick look at John and after she received a nod as a confirmation, she stared into her daughter's eyes and made her eyes glow brightly blue.

It seemed that her daughter was enchanted by the look of her mommy's eyes. She grinned wide and clapped enthusiastically. "They're so beautiful! You should always have them like this!" She leaned a little forward and gazed into her mommy's eyes sharply. "So blue!"

"Yes, they are beautiful. But if she'd run around with such eyes someone would sooner or later become suspicious and she could be revealed. "John patiently explained to his daughter. He also found Cameron's blue glowing eyes irresistibly beautiful. Especially because he knew that it usually meant something very specific; that she was happy or aroused.

Before they could continue their discussion, the door opened and Sarah strolled in, stopping just beyond the threshold. She looked questioningly at John and Cameron and after she received a confirmative nod from both of them, she sighed relieved and approached them.

Allison Lyn noticed her granny's arrival and as soon as Sarah was by her side, she looked into her eyes. "Granny Sarah? Why didn't you tell me that my mommy is a machine? She can make so beautiful blue eyes." Then she turned back to Cameron pleadingly. "Can you make them glow again? Please?"

Cameron smiled tenderly at her daughter's plea and allowed her eyes to glow blue again.

Sarah involuntarily shuddered as she saw her daughter in law's eyes in the bright blue color. It reminded her all too much on some other machines, which could make their eyes piercing red. _Luckily she can make them blue!_ But she chased the thought and discomfort away. _Cameron is different! She would never willingly hurt anyone she likes. The one she hates … oh well, that's entirely different story._ She remembered the fierce concentration and coldness on Cameron's face as they stormed the Skynet bastion. Yes, Cameron was undoubtedly still a machine deep down, regardless of the fact that she changed immensely. Should a need arise, Sarah had no doubts, Cameron would act like a machine again. _Woe to one who would try to hurt someone she loves!_

While her mind tumbled over such memories and thoughts, Allison Lyn repeated her question, but noticed that her granny didn't react. So she reached for her hand and pulled at it resolutely.

The hard pull on her hand finally tore Sarah from her daydreaming. "Uhm? What?" She looked a bit disoriented, but her eyes soon focused on her granddaughter, who looked at her expectantly. "I'm sorry dearest. What did you say?" She mumbled an apology.

"I said: why didn't you tell me that my mommy is a machine!" Allison Lyn repeated her question for the third time, this time slightly annoyed that her granny didn't answer her.

Sarah swallowed and thought for a moment before answering. "It wasn't my decision to make. Only your parents could tell you, not me."

Allison Lyn looked unconvinced, but decided that she wouldn't pursue the matter anymore. At least not for the time being. Maybe later.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks! I really appreciate your reviews and the fact that there are quite a lot of visits to this story. I'll try not to disappoint you._

_It might have looked like the Connor family would be living a fairy tale until now. But life isn't a fairy tale. No matter how hard we try, there are always problems awaiting us and some of them could turn our lives upside down. In this chapter, something ugly happens to them. Will it affect them gravely? You'll have to read and see for yourself._

_I'm also introducing few characters who had already played a role in 'Endgame', but haven't been mentioned in the first four chapters of this story. Besides … this chapter became much longer than I originally anticipated. But I felt like I haven't been explaining everything correctly and so it grew and grew and grew …_

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><p><strong>Allison Lyn Connor – Chapter 5<strong>

"Where will your mommy be waiting for us?" Allison Lyn Connor turned towards her best friend, Savannah Weaver, and gazed at her curiously.

Both girls stood at the top of the stairs of their school. Even though Savannah was quite a few years older than Allison Lyn, they were best friends and were more than happy that they could stay in the same school.

Savannah took over the role of an overprotective older sister of the young, curious and hyper-active bundle of energy, named Allison Lyn without even thinking of it. Ever since she met Cameron and John, she spent almost as much time in their house as in her own. Somehow, they became their surrogate parents in a way. She now knew that her mother was a machine and it took her a short time to come to terms with the fact, but really not long. She liked Cameron very much and the fact that she knew her almost older sister was a machine helped her to accept the fact, that she was obviously surrounded by machines. But they were all friendly ones and she quickly returned to her normal relationship with Catherine Weaver, or, the machine, impersonating her mother. She believed her, when she explained to her that she didn't do anything to her real mother. Why wouldn't she?

"She said they'd be waiting across the street. But I don't see them. Maybe they're running a little late. Traffic …" Savannah craned her neck to see if their car could be seen anywhere. "Maybe we should wait there." She pointed towards a bench, located near the street, from where they could have an unobstructed view and see when Catherine Weaver would arrive with her limo to pick both girls up.

Allison Lyn nodded and instantly started towards the bench, just to be stopped by Savannah's hand. The older girl looked at her friend with a smile and nod before following her towards their target.

Once they reached the bench, they sat down and waited. The other kids were leaving the school too and they curiously observed them, greeting some of them they knew.

Suddenly a large black van with tinted windows stopped with screeching tires few meters away from the girls. The door slid open and two masked men jumped outside and ran towards the girls. The bigger one grabbed Savannah before she could even let out a cry and covered her mouth with his gloved hand.

Allison Lyn's eyes widened uncontrollably and she let out a piercing scream, alerting all the kids around them to the fact that her best friend was just being kidnapped.

The smaller man looked at the larger one confused and the latter only cried to him, voice muffled through the mask. "TAKE HER T OO!" The man's reaction was instant. In a second he grabbed Allison Lyn, covered her mouth and ran towards the van.

Only few seconds after the men jumped out of the van, the vehicle was already moving, even before the door could slid close. All kids stood there with astonished looks, gazing after the quickly disappearing van, while a security guard ran from the school entrance, but he could only see the rear of the van, disappearing around the corner.

In only few seconds, both girls were gone. Everything happened so fast that no one could memorize the license plate. Although it was highly unlikely that it would be of any help.

XXXXXXXXXX

"SHE'S BEEN WHAT?" Cameron's voice was so loud that it could probably be heard at least three blocks away and her face was contorted in a pure rage mask. The policeman, who just came to tell them that their daughter had been abducted, stepped few steps backwards almost involuntarily. The reaction of this delicate woman, who had just been told that her daughter had gone missing, was completely different than he expected. She didn't break down in tears; she seemed to even grow up and looked like a fury at the gates of hell.

"I'm sorry, ma'm. It's all I know. Your daughter and daughter of Catherine Weaver have been taken in front of the school. Everything went so fast that no one could memorize anything. But we'll do anything in our power to get them back. Now … if you'll excuse me … I have to return, but there are detectives waiting outside to assist you. I'll bid them in." The man scurried away quickly, happy that he was not longer in the close proximity of this enraged woman.

Cameron stood there like a statue, her fists clenched so tight that her nails dug into the skin and small trickles of blood already travelled down her palms. Her face was set in a stony mask of unbelievable anger and her body trembled slightly. Her Allison Lyn had been taken! Her little baby was gone, abducted, in the hands of who knows which pervert!

John returned to her, after he showed the policeman outside and waved the detectives, waiting outside, away for the time being. He saw Cameron's face and flinched a little. He never saw such fury on his wife's face and he almost hesitated before putting his hands on her shoulders. Looking straight into her unfocused eyes, he whispered. "Cameron! Please, look at me! Please, honey!"

Cameron's eyes finally focused on his face and the stony mask slowly began to melt away. She gazed into her husband's eyes and in them she saw only the same mixture of fear, love and fury that could be seen in her eyes too. Her fists slowly unclenched and her arms almost subconsciously searched their way around John's body. They melted into a tight hug and Cameron leaned her head against John's chest.

"She's been taken John! Our little baby has been taken away from us! Who could have done something like that? Why? Why her?" Her voice, quiet at first, gained the volume and the last words were almost screamed out, before she broke down and hot tears began to flow down her cheeks. She suddenly began to sob and clenched at John so tight that he could barely breathe.

John wasn't exactly surprised over Cameron's reaction to the news. Although … he never saw her just as emotional. So he limited himself to gently caressing the back of her head and murmuring soft words of reassurance into her ear. No matter how difficult it was for him too. He was shocked over the news just as Cameron was, but right now he couldn't afford to break down like she did. He knew that in few minutes she'd be over the first shock and would revert to her coldest terminator persona until they found their daughter again. But right now she needed him and he would be damned if he wouldn't give her any support she needed; any support he could offer. For once in their joint life he could be the strong one when it came to emotions. He already knew how much Cameron loved their little daughter and it wasn't exactly unexpected. As much as she evolved, she was still learning when it came to dealing with strong emotions.

His premonitions turned out very true. Only a minute after she seemingly broke down in his arms and dissolved in tears, she straightened up and he looked into her still red rimmed eyes, but her face was once again set in stone. If there only weren't the visible tear streaks on her cheeks, speaking volumes of her inner turmoil and betraying her worries.

"We've got to find her! I don't trust the police." Her voice was measured, flat and all business.

"Right! I don't trust them either. But we have some friends who will definitely help us."

Cameron seemed to think for a moment over something before her eyes got a haunted expression again and her voice, as she spoke, was laced with sorrow. "How do you think Catherine is dealing with the fact that Savannah is missing too? I'm so worried for her."

"Whom? Catherine or Savannah?"

"Savannah of course! I love her almost like I love Allison Lyn!" Cameron gave her husband a barely tolerable look, giving him clear message that he should have known whom she meant.

Ever since they defeated Skynet, Cameron and Savannah built up a very special relationship. The best description would be that Cameron acted like a big, overprotective, fiercely defending sister for Savannah. They spent quite a lot of time together and Cameron learned a lot from her little friend. She learned how it is to play with children; she learned how she could talk to them; she learned to understand their sometimes confusing actions and reactions. Everything helped her to be a better mom to Allison Lyn. And after Allison Lyn joined the family, Savannah took over almost the same role towards the little girl as Cameron took over towards her.

"Just kidding!" John mumbled an apology absentmindedly. His thoughts were already revolving around possible actions to find their daughter.

"Well, you shouldn't!" Cameron admonished him sternly and pulled the phone from her pocket. Before John could even ask, she already dialed one number and after a single beep, Catherine Weaver answered. "Yes, Cameron?" Her voice betrayed nothing but, for those who knew her, a slight quiver was a clear indicator that she wasn't as detached as she appeared.

"We have to meet. We must find out a way to get our children back. We're coming over now." Cameron didn't lose any unnecessary words. In this moment she was not Cameron Connor, she reverted back to Cameron Phillips, before she met this John, her husband. A cold, calculating and efficient terminator.

"Agreed. Come directly to John Henry's lab."Catherine Weaver answered swiftly, but Cameron could swear she heard a slight relief in her voice.

Without saying another word, Cameron cut the connection and looked at her husband. "Let's go!"

John admired the efficiency of his wife. She might have been almost human in the last few years, especially since they had a daughter, but when it came to solving difficult problems, she could become the old Cameron again; the one who saved his life more times than he could count, the one who would never back down from the fight, from the unpleasant situations. He had no doubts: if there was anyone who could find his daughter then it was the unbeatable duo Cameron and Catherine.

XXXXXXXXXX

Just a short time later, Cameron and John were already passing Miss Delaney, the receptionist of the Zeira corporation, the same woman, who felt so intimidated by Cameron when they first met. Meanwhile they both managed to build quite a good relationship. It would be awkward if they'd continue their strained relationship now that Cameron and John were quite often visiting the company. And young receptionist realized that Cameron was just testing her, not meaning her any harm. Besides … Cameron really stopped trying to intimidate the young woman and accepted her for what she was.

So, Josephine Delaney just smiled at the pair, being already notified by Catherine Weaver that they would arrive and didn't understand why Cameron just nodded to her with a blank face, not giving her a trace of a smile.

Cameron had no time neither any desire to be friendly to anyone but her closest at the time. She strolled purposefully, towards her destination, causing John to almost run after her to keep her pace.

The elevator to the basement, where John Henry was still residing, seemed to take forever. At least John and Cameron felt so. John's quiet relieved sigh as the door finally opened, didn't escape Cameron but her mind was set on her daughter and Savannah.

"We've already found some clues." Catherine didn't waste any time as they entered the secret lab, accessible only for the narrowest circle of trusted persons. She stood behind John Henry, who was checking the numerous screens on the wall, turning just for a split second to look at Cameron and her husband and nod to them.

"How are you doing?" John stepped to Catherine. She might have been a machine but he knew that she cared for Savannah a lot more than she allowed anyone to see.

"I'm fine. Or, I will be fine, once we find the girls." Catherine's voice was flat and her face almost expressionless. Almost. But John and Cameron knew her too good to be fooled by her expression. The two machines, two mothers, looked at each other for few moments and understood what they felt. A barely perceptible nod from both sides proved to John what he already knew: They wouldn't leave a stone unturned until they had found their daughters again. He realized the paradox of the situation. They were both machines but they both cared deeply for their human children. More than some human women would. _If this isn't the proof that humans and machines can peacefully live together, then I don't know what the proof could be! I guess there are not many human mothers who would love their children so unconditionally. _

XXXXXXXXXX

Allison Lyn sat curled in a small ball in the corner of the fast moving van and her big eyes stared at Savannah, who occupied the second corner. "Sav?" She whispered, afraid that the big bad man, sitting so that he looked at them, might do something to her.

Savannah managed to tear her eyes from the same man, who was still wearing a balaclava and only his eyes flashed through the openings, carefully controlling the two girls. She looked at her friend for a second, returned her gaze to the man and suddenly stubbornly skidded over the floor to Allison Lyn.

The man looked alarmed for a second, but as he saw, that Savannah just put her arm around the smaller girl while shooting him a murderous look, he relaxed again and leaned back.

Savannah let out a breath she had been holding and turned to Allison Lyn, who was looking at her with frightened eyes. Even though she was a very brave kid, she was still terrified that these bad men would do something to them. She longed to have her mommy, her guardian angel and her daddy at her side. At least she had the support from her best friend.

"Everything's going to be OK, Ally! You'll see! Our moms will find us and these men will regret to have ever kidnapped us!" Her last sentence was spoken aloud and she flashed a quick look at the man to see if he would react to it. But the balaclava hid the man's face so she couldn't see if he reacted to it or not.

Allison Lyn now looked less terrified and she remembered that her mommy often protected her and she was sure she'd find and free her this time too. "Yes, my mommy will make them pay for their deeds!" She surprised even herself so boldly did she speak these words.

This time the man obviously grinned under the mask and a muffled voice came from under it. "Oh dear! I'm already trembling from fear! Your two mommies will beat the big bad men! I'm so scared!"

Savannah gasped slightly. She noticed that the man obviously had no fear from the machine, who was in all aspects her mother, as well as he didn't fear Allison Lyn's mother, another lethal machine. _Maybe these men don't know who they are dealing with?_

"Why did you take me? And Ally?" She tried to find out more.

But the man remained silent for few moments before answering in clearly amused voice. "Everything will be explained. Patience!"

Savannah realized that the man wouldn't say anything more, so she just hugged Allison Lyn tighter, feeling her arms snaking around her too. "They have no idea what our mommies can do, Ally!" She whispered in Allison Lyn's ear so quietly that the man couldn't hear her. "Don't tell them anything!"

Allison Lyn looked at her with big eyes, but this time they weren't filled with fear, but with pride over what their mothers were capable of. She nodded to her friend. Their mommies would save them! For sure!

XXXXXXXXXX

"There! There's the van and the men!" John Henry pointed towards one of the screen, showing the footage about abduction of the girls from security camera angle.

Everyone looked tense at the scene on the screen and as the van sped away, Cameron looked at John confused. "They were after Savannah! Not Allison Lyn! They took her because she was there! But what would they want from Savannah?"

"I guess that they believe to force me to pay them a significant amount of money." Catherine's cold voice cut through the silence. "This was probably just a kidnapping for blackmailing. If they knew what we are … well, they'd probably execute their mission differently."

"That would mean that they have no idea what they are dealing with." John massaged his chin lost in thoughts while his eyes shot from Catherine to his wife. "Therefore we have the advantage of two seriously pissed off mothers, who just happen to be the most dangerous women of all times in the world. Oh my! These kidnappers will regret the day they have been born!"

Cameron looked at him blankly. She couldn't understand why John would find it amusing that she and Catherine were machines. "John! It's not funny! Not at all! They have both girls!"

John looked at his wife slightly annoyed. "Do you see me smiling, Cam? Have I said that it's amusing! No. my dearest wife! I'm just as pissed off as you are and there's nothing I'd want more than to get my hands on those scumbags!"

Cameron realized that her quasi accusations really missed the point. She looked at the floor. "I'm sorry John. I shouldn't have said that. But I'm so worried and scared!" She trailed off and looked at John helplessly.

Suddenly she was in John's arms and he squeezed her so tight that she'd have to cry out, were she a human. "I know, Cam! We'll find them!"

John Henry meanwhile followed the van's route. "These men think they are very clever. But they are making more mistakes than they should." He murmured more to himself than to the others, but caught their attention nevertheless.

"What do you mean?" John turned towards his friend.

"They are staying in the areas covered by cameras all the time. They didn't even try to change the car. They must be amateurs." John Henry concluded icily while his eyes still flickered across the screen. Suddenly he lifted his arm. "There!"

Everyone looked at the screen carefully just to see how a van stopped in front of a rundown building, which was more than obviously uninhabited. The door on the opposite side of the vehicle, facing away from the camera slid open and two men dragged two little girls out of the van and into the building.

"Allison Lyn!" Cameron covered her mouth to suppress crying out loud as she saw how the big man dragged her precious daughter across the pavement towards the entrance.

Catherine's face darkened considerably as she looked at the other, bigger and older, girl, being dragged after Allison Lyn too.

John noticed that both female machines suddenly got that determined look. Look that meant they'd go to the end of the world and back if needed just to get their babies back. He turned to John Henry. "Do you have a location?"

John Henry almost looked a little annoyed. "Of course, John!"

"Then let's go! I want my munchkin back in my arms!" John nodded to his wife and Catherine.

Both mothers nodded resolutely and in a minute they were at the door. "Wait! What about me! I want to go too!" John Henry protested while getting up from his chair. He liked both girls. Savannah was the one who always played with him and showed him things, while Allison Lyn was just so adorable hyper-active bundle, always making him smile. He was feeling angry at the men who took the girls and wanted to help free them.

Cameron turned as first and stepped to John Henry, putting her hand on his arm. "We need you here, John Henry! You have to control the building and notify us, should something change. Please?"

Her pleading tone and big eyes were so convincing that John Henry just nodded and sat back. "Go and bring them back!"

"We will. I swear!" Cameron's solemn voice made it clear just how much she meant her words.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Don't you think that we should have informed Sarah and Derek?" Cameron inquired quietly at John while they were driving towards the location where the girls had presumably been kept. Everything happened so fast that they didn't even try to call Sarah and Derek, who have been on a trip to New York at the time. "It would be better if they find out from us than from the TV."

"Right." John looked at his watch. "They should be up by now, don't you think so?" A rhetorical question, for he didn't wait for the answer and was already dialing his mother's number.

It was obvious that Sarah was near the phone, for she answered after only few moments. "Hi mom! Look, something happened. Don't freak out! Please!"

Cameron could hear Sarah's agitated voice from the other side of the line. John removed the phone from his ear and held it quite apart so that they could hear Sarah speaking vividly. Then he sighed and put the phone back to his ear. "Allison Lyn and Savannah have been kidnapped by some criminals." This time it was obvious that Sarah was more than just a little upset.

"Calm down, please! She's my daughter, damn! We're on our way to get them back. Who? Cameron, Catherine and me." He paused to listen to his mother before he continued. "No, we have all reasons to believe that they were just after money. They obviously have no connection to anything remotely Skynet or homicidal machines."

Cameron suddenly decided that it took too long and that she should end it, so she pulled the phone from John's hand, leaving him dumbfounded, staring at her with open mouth and hand still in a position as if he would be holding a phone against the ear. "Listen to me Sarah! We're going to get them back now. So please, calm down and wait for us to tell you how it went. Don't call us or you'll blow up everything! Right! I'll call you!" Then she hung up and handed the phone back to John, who still looked at her like he'd be looking at a ghost. "There! Done!"

John finally clamped his mouth shut and gave his wife a tiny grin. "That's why I only love strong women!"

Even though she was still extremely worried about the girls, Cameron gave her husband the tiniest of smiles. "I know!"

"I hate to interrupt your bonding, but we're almost there." Catherine, who had been driving, stopped at the edge of the road. There were few other vehicles parked alongside and their SUV didn't stand out. She deliberately took the smallest one she could, not to stick out too much in the questionable neighborhood.

Cameron made a quick scan of the surroundings and nodded. "Right. Two more blocks to go. We should leave the car here and continue on foot."

"Agreed." John was already grabbing for the door handle to get out, as Cameron's hand engulfed his arm in iron grip. "What?" He looked at his wife confused.

Cameron was obviously struggling with words. "John, please don't do anything stupid. Stay behind Catherine and me all the time."

John already wanted to object, but as he saw a plea in Cameron's eyes, a slightly distressed expression on her face, he realized something. _She's afraid that she might lose her daughter and me. OK, so let's not cause her any more distress._ "I promise to be careful, Cameron. But you have to be careful too, promise?"

Cameron nodded. "Promise!" She remembered the first time she promised anything to John. The time, she had been lying in the car wreck, covered with thermite and the "terminate" command flashing on her HUD, before she overrode it. She gently squeezed John's arm and let go of it.

After they left the car, they walked along the almost deserted street. John wondered how the both terminators almost automatically flanked him and took him in a sandwich to be able to protect him better. He reached for Cameron's hand and as he took it in his, he could see how Cameron turned to look at him with huge eyes, in which hope and sadness mixed with love. His only response was to give her warm hand a gentle squeeze.

"All right. It's the building over there." Catherine stopped at the corner and carefully scanned the surroundings. She suddenly shimmered silvery and after a second morphed into a smaller, blonde woman, slightly overweighed, dressed in cheap street clothes, obviously being much older than Catherine. "What? They probably know me and if they'd notice Catherine Weaver they'd most definitely gain their suspicions." She answered to a slightly confused look that John gave her.

"I know all that, Catherine! I was just impressed how fast you managed to transform." He paused and after a moment somehow unwillingly continued. "Did this … person … live after your encounter with them?" He knew that the majority of humans, the liquid terminators could impersonate, ended up dead.

"Of course! She used to be my secretary before she retired!" A look of indignation shot through John before the LMT turned towards the building again.

In front of the building there was still a van, parked on the same spot as before. "Amateurs!" Catherine snorted

"Or maybe they just want us to think they were amateurs." John answered quietly while his eyes darted around to see if there were any guards anywhere.

"I'm detecting five persons inside the building." Cameron chimed in. "Three definitely adults, one small child and one almost grown up. It must be Allison Lyn and Savannah."

"Ah, thermo vision." John looked a little jealous.

"One of the advantages of being a machine." Cameron answered crisply and turned to look at her two partners. "All three adults are in the same room as the children. I suggest we try to come into the building as quiet as possible and then storm the room. I'll take the leftmost adult, Catherine should take the middle one and John the one on the right." She spoke flatly and John could see that she had no intentions on sparing the lives of the kidnappers.

"We shouldn't kill them, Cameron!" He tried to persuade his wife.

"Why not?" Cameron answered coldly and looked at him with expressionless eyes. "They are a threat to our children and you. I don't want to expose anyone of you to such dangers."

_There it goes again! She can become a cold terminator in an instant! _John sighed, slightly annoyed at Cameron for wanting to eliminate the threat by simply terminating three people. But deep down, he knew that it was a part her too. Just as she could be a loving mother and wife, she could also be a ruthless killer if needed. And he loved all of her, even this homicidal part. He would have to find a way to persuade her not to do any unnecessary killing. "Look Cameron, many people already died for me or because of me. I don't want these three on my consciousness too."

Cameron looked at him for a long moment with cold eyes. She tilted her head slightly before answering. "It's definitely not acceptable to leave such a threat alive," She paused a bit, still looking at her husband coldly, letting his heart sink in disappointment. "But … I understand why you don't want them to be killed. We shall only disable them. Shoot them in hands and knees. They may not have a chance to hurt the girls. " Her eyes instantly warmed.

A loud sigh of relief came from John and he smiled thankfully at her, but then turned towards Catherine. "I'd like you to do the same, OK?"

Catherine looked like she would be mulling over some decision but after few moments nodded. "I agree with Cameron that it's not wise to let them live, but I'll respect your decision. Hands and knees then are."

"Just one more thing!" Cameron stopped them both from starting towards the building and pulled two balaclavas from her pocket, handing one of them to John. "Put this on. If they see your face they'll definitely tell everything about who raided them and that's the last thing we want."

John looked at her nodding, pulled the cap over his head and covered his face while Cameron did the same with hers. Catherine in a form of some other woman looked at them and smiled slightly.

"OK, let's go then!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Allison Lyn and Savannah sat together in a corner of a dirty room and looked at the three men, standing between them and the door, obviously arguing over something.

"I told you it's a bad idea!" One of the men yelled to the other. They were still wearing balaclavas and their voices came muffled from under the fabric.

"If you're so smart, then tell me what should we have done? The little one screamed like a banshee and she could alert everyone. We had to take her!"

"Forget it! We have to inform this Weaver woman that we have her daughter and that she can have her back after she pays the ransom." The third man tried to calm the situation down, with little success.

"Sure! And what are we going to do with this one?" The man's arm shot to point towards Allison Lyn. "We have no idea who she is and if her parents would be able to pay us to let her go. Maybe we should just get rid of her!"

"You mean … dispose of her?" The calmest man sounded surprised. "There was never any talk about hurting someone! If you do her any harm, I'm out of it!"

"Like hell you are! You'll stay with us …"

The rest of the sentence remained in the man's throat as the door to the room came crashing down and a fury in form of a thin girl with balaclava covered face, carrying two guns in her hands whizzed into the room, just to be followed by some older woman, who had no guns, but her hands already stretched into two silver pikes. The last member of the party was obviously a man, his face also hidden behind a fabric of a black balaclava, holding two guns too rearing the little attack group.

Before the men could even react or reach for their weapons, the girl with two guns fired four shots at the first man, effectively puncturing his both palms and shattering both his knees, so that he went down in a scream of pain.

The second woman's arms stretched into something impossible; into four lances that simultaneously hit the second man's palms and knees and he joined his colleague on the floor.

Even though he was the last to enter the room, the man also fired four shots in quick succession and the third man joined his two already fallen comrades on the floor, bleeding from his hands and knees.

"HELP!" Allison Lyn screamed as she saw the attackers effectively downing the men and she jumped up. Wisely, Savannah held her back from running to the new group. She was so confused that she didn't know what to think about it all. At least theses three people were fighting the bad men and she believed them to be good guys.

Cameron made a quick check of the three men, jumping to them and pulling their guns from their waistbands. She ejected the frames from their holders and threw the emptied guns to Catherine. Then she turned towards the girls and in one jump reached them. She couldn't allow the girls to uncover her just yet, so she just stretched her hand towards the two girls, clutching to each other and looking at her with huge, frightened eyes. "Come with me if you want to live!"

The both kidnapped girls didn't need to think for a long time. Something in the voice of this woman, even though it had been muffled by the fabric of her mask, swept suspicions aside and they quickly stood up and ran towards the woman, waiting for them just a meter away.

As Allison Lyn's hand touched hers and as she saw the trusting eyes of her daughter, Cameron almost let go of her control and felt how hot tears of happiness wetted the fabric. But she managed to regain control of her feelings. "We should leave right now. Let's get you out of here!"

John meanwhile finally managed to join the girls and he also had a hard time to fight the urge to envelop Allison Lyn in his arms. He would, but not in front of the kidnappers. "Get them out of here. I need a word with these men."

The men on the floor meanwhile managed to stop screaming in pain and one of them turned to look at the three persons, who attacked them. One, the slender woman, was already leading the girls out of the room, while the older woman and the man remained an their spots. His eyes flashed from under the fabric of the balaclava and he shook his head slightly. "What the hell?" He groaned, visibly in pain.

The three attackers seemed to have all heard him and the woman, leading two girls out of the building, stopped to take a look at him, before turning towards the man. He nodded to her and she nodded back, continuing her way out.

The older woman, who, strangely, didn't wear a balaclava and the kidnapper tried to memorize her face, turned and stepped towards him. The masked man also approached the man who just spoke and squatted at his side. For a moment he looked at the wounded man imploringly, then his hand shot out, grabbed the hem of his balaclava and he pulled it off.

"We would want to see the faces of the bastards who thought they could kidnap two young girls and get away with it." His voice was cold, but a clear threat could be seen in his eyes, flashing through the openings in the cap. He stared into frightened blue eyes of the man on the floor.

"Please, sir, we didn't mean …"

"You didn't mean … what? Didn't mean to take them? Didn't mean to hurt them?" The threat in man's voice became stronger with every word. "And yet you did it!"

"No, we wouldn't hurt them, please!" It seemed that the man was almost begging for his life. "We just wanted to kidnap the older one and request a ransom for her!" His head turned slightly towards the older woman, who stood just a meter away, tilting her head slightly and looking at him interested. "We've heard that Catherine Weaver is one of the wealthiest women in Los Angeles and tried to get some money from her. We wouldn't hurt any of the girls. Please, you have to believe me!" his voice was pleading, still laced with pain, but also unmistakably frightened. These two looked like they really meant business, even though the woman was at least in her sixties.

Catherine Weaver grinned at him menacingly. "You would blackmail her? You would request a large sum of money for giving her back her daughter?" She shook her head amused. "Well, you miscalculated the whole thing. I know the lady and she would never allow you to blackmail her. She'd rather find a way to find and get you."

The man now didn't understand anything more. Who were these people? Were they hired by Catherine Weaver? Have they been sent by someone else? They most definitely weren't with the police or any other agency. "Who are you?"

A man straightened up and looked down at him for a long moment before saying anything. "We're your worst nightmare, dude. It doesn't matter how we found you, but I tell you this: should you ever again even get a parking ticket, you'll regret the day you had been born. We'll be following you and you'll always feel that someone is watching you. If you make one false move you won't get away as cheap as you just did." Then he turned towards the exit and strolled away.

The older woman looked after the departing man for a second before turning towards the man still lying on the floor. "I'd believe him if I were you. He makes it a thing of honor to fulfill his threats." Then she left the men too.

Cameron meanwhile exited the building, still guiding the two girls towards the van. Suddenly Savannah stopped and pulled at her hand. "Wait! Who are you! I want to see your face! Are you just another kidnapper?"

Allison Lyn joined her friend and stopped too, frowning at the masked woman. But she felt somehow connected to her, as if she would know her from somewhere.

Cameron allowed the girls to stop her and smiled under her mask. Then she let Savannah's hand go and pulled the balaclava over her head, shaking her long hair straight.

"MOMMY!" Allison Lyn screamed as she saw that the strange woman was her mother. In an instant, she was literally wrapped around her, squeezing the female cybrog with all her strength. "Mommy! I knew you'd come for me! I knew it!"

Cameron felt how she could finally let go of her control and hot tears of happiness streamed down her cheeks. "I would go to the end of the world for you, baby!"

Savannah stared at her friend with open mouth before she jumped the hugging mother and daughter too, to hug the machine, who become like a big sister to her. "Cammy! You saved us!"

Cameron felt as happy as only few times before in her life. She managed to save her daughter and Savannah, whom she regarded as a baby sister from the bad men, and she didn't kill anyone.

"Well, actually she didn't do it alone." Amused voice of one John Connor tore the hugging trio from their moment of happiness and as they turned they saw him standing there with a widest grin on his face, the masking cap in his hand.

"DADDY!" Allison Lyn yelled happily and literally threw herself into his open arms.

Savannah however noticed someone else beside John. Her mother. Catherine meanwhile morphed back into her usual form and smiled at the young girl, who needed only a split second to be in her arms. "Mommy! You came for me too!"

"Of course I did, Savannah. I always will. You're my daughter."

In this moment it was completely unimportant that both mothers were machines and that their daughters knew it. They were simply happy reunited families.

Cameron meanwhile looked at two persons who meant the world to her, hugging fiercely with a smile, took out the phone and dialed John Henry's number. "John Henry! We have them. You should call the police and tell them that there are three kidnappers hurt in this house. Send them the video feed, proving they were the ones to kidnap Savannah and Allison Lyn. Sure, we're out of here in a few moments" Then she hung up and looked at John. "They are wounded but we should tie them up nevertheless. At least their hands."

John nodded and pulled three plastic straps from his pocket, strong enough to hold a wild beast. He put his balaclava back to hide his identity and disappeared into the building. It took him just a minute to return, but Cameron's sensitive hearing could hear screams of the men inside.

"You didn't torture them, did you?" She asked with a small lopsided grin.

"Of course not. But I'm not the one to blame that they called their fate upon them. It's not the most pleasant thing to be bound when your hands are injured." John smirked back before turning to his daughter, who clutched fiercely at Cameron's hand and squeezed tightly to her leg. "Well, munchkin, let's go home now."

Allison Lyn nodded vigorously. She wanted to get away from this miserable place as fast as possible.

Once back in the car, Cameron took the back seat, flanked by both girls, who seemed to have developed a habit of clinging to her arms fiercely, not letting her go for a second.

John turned towards Catherine, who already pulled away from their parking space. "Won't the men describe your ex secretary to the police? Won't she get in trouble?"

"She died last week." Catherine answered laconically, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Oh! I see! Then everything's all right. They're going to chase a ghost. Nice work, Catherine." John grinned and turned back to look at his wife, who was now hugging both girls to her sides and gently whispering into their ears. The faces of the girls seemed relaxed and completely concentrated on Cameron. _Strange! They have been kidnapped, taken away, held captive, they saw how we attacked and it seems that they have gotten over it already? Is that Cameron's doing or are the kids really that tough?_ He knew that he wouldn't get an answer now, so he just smiled at Cameron, who looked up at him and gave him a beaming smile.

The sirens of approaching police vehicles disturbed the little scene. John turned back to look at three police cars speeding past them towards the scene of their liberation of the girls. "Trust John Henry to be effective."

"And trust police to be late. Like always!" Catherine smirked at the last police vehicle before concentrating on driving again.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_Well, this chapter somehow 'forced' itself on me. I didn't intend to write it, but, feeling a bit of the moment's spirit, I got the idea and simply had to write it down. Please, be patient with the (probably) many mistakes I've made. I just finished writing the chapter (I needed only three hours to write it down) and as the time is just right, I'm posting it without reading it again, without making any corrections._

_I'll probably rewrite it a bit later and make necessary corrections, but for now … I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it and … Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone!_

* * *

><p><strong>Allison Lyn Connor – Chapter 6<strong>

"But, daddy! I want to decorate the tree with mommy!" Allison Lyn pouted and looked at John from under her brows, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction with his decision, they would decorate the tree by themselves, leaving Cameron out of the work. "Why don't you want to do it with her?"

John sighed and crouched in front of Allison Lyn, so that he was now even looking slightly up into her eyes. "Look, pumpkin … I'd like to surprise her with a beautiful decorated tree when she returns from her shopping trip. Don't you think it would be a nice surprise for her?" he tilted his head suggestively and tried to look persuasive.

Allison Lyn's face suddenly brightened up and she giggled, while launching herself on John, gripping him with her small arms tightly. "Why didn't you tell it immediately, daddy? Yes, I think she would be pleasantly surprised if we'd decorate the tree for her."

John grinned, congratulating to himself to have finally found a valid excuse for his daughter. Even though he never would admit to her, he knew that decorating the Christmas tree most definitely wasn't something Cameron liked doing. In fact, she always found an excuse to vanish just at that time. Not that he would resent her for that. She simply had no feeling for such work.

"How long do we have before mommy and granny Sarah return from the mall?" Allison Lyn was now worrying if they'd have enough time to decorate the tree before the women would return from the shopping trip to the mall.

"Oh, they just left and if I'm correct, they shouldn't return for another few hours. So … we have enough time. But still, we should start immediately, right?" John stood up and pulled bouncing Allison Lyn in the direction of the already put up tree.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure that John would like this … what's it already … ?" Sarah furrowed her brows while gazing at some electronic appliances in the store window.

"Playstation." Cameron explained patiently and looked at the shiny new gadget.

"What's it good for?" Sarah had no idea.

Cameron sighed exasperated and even rolled her eyes a bit. But not because of Sarah's ignorance. "it's a gaming console." Her explanation was crisp and up to the point.

Sarah now finally tore her eyes from the store window and looked at Cameron, noticing that her daughter in law looked slightly annoyed. "You mean … my son, the man who destroyed the Skynet, the warrior who saved the world, your husband …" She paused and fought to suppress a giggle. "That man is still playing computer games? Really?" Her self-control failed and she burst out in giggles.

Cameron looked even more annoyed, gazed into Sarah's eyes and shook her head. "Don't, Sarah, please! I have no idea why, but I guess it has something to do with the fact that men are more or les immature kids when it comes to technology." The hidden meaning of her words escaped her, so concentrated was she on the task of getting appropriate gifts for her family.

Sarah's eyes travelled along Cameron up and down, before she smirked and nodded. "As can be well attested with my present daughter in law."

Suddenly Cameron even blushed a little, realizing the deeper meaning of her words. "I guess it is so." Dry voice and slightly indignant expression on her face told Sarah that she didn't find it too amusing.

"Don't bother, Cameron. I accepted you a long time ago and I really don't see the coltan under your skin any more. I just see my daughter in law, the person that came the closest to be my daughter. Not to forget the mother of my granddaughter." She put her hand on Cameron's forearm and smiled at her affectionately. "Let's go inside and buy our big boy a toy."

Cameron smiled back and nodded. She always felt warm inside when Sarah expressed her fondness over her cyborg daughter in law.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I like it, just leave it at that, squirrel." John hastily stopped his daughter from rearranging one special part of decoration on the tree for the tenth time.

"But I don't know if mommy will like it." Allison Lyn was unsure and she turned to her father. "I'd like her to like what I've done."

"Don't worry, she'll be thrilled to see what you've done without her help. You know how much she approves of your work, don't you?"

Allison Lyn looked thoughtful for a moment before she vigorously nodded and beamed at John. "Yes! She likes when I do things right." Then she turned back to the almost finished tree and gave it a critical look before looking back at John. "So you really think it's OK?"

"Absolutely!" John hurried to reassure his daughter from starting the decoration work anew. For the fourth time! He was really getting slightly nervous that nothing seemed to satisfy his daughter's taste. _Maybe now's the time to persuade her?_ "It's perfect, believe me! Would I deceive you?" He looked at his daughter and tried to give her a puppy dog look.

Allison Lyn gazed at him for a second before she burst out in giggles that almost immediately transformed into a full belly laugh. "Don't try to give me _that_ look daddy! You're failing totally! Only mommy and I know how to give you that look."

John grinned. He knew that puppy dog look wasn't one of his strong sides. On the other hand, he always went weak when Cameron and now Allison Lyn used it. He somehow suspected that Allison Lyn must have been taught by Cameron to practice it. Even though Cameron still managed it the best and every time she used it, he melted and she always got her way with him.

"That's better!" Allison Lyn grinned at him.

A sound of the door opening disturbed them and Allison Lyn shot up. "They're back!" She bolted towards the entrance to meet her mother and grandmother.

Cameron naturally heard her daughter and she smiled involuntarily. Even though it had been only few hours since she last saw the little girl, she really missed her. And her husband, of course. She had no time to dwell on her thoughts as Allison Lyn's small frame came almost flying towards her and in next instant she had her daughter clinging to her leg. If she was a human, she'd had problems remaining on her feet, especially with all the bags in her hands. But so, she managed it without noticeable swaying.

"Mommy! You're back!" Allison Lyn's face glowed in adoration as she looked up into her mother's face. "We have a surprise for you!" She spoke so fast that Cameron almost failed to understand her. But, being a cyborg, she replayed her daughter's words slower and smiled at her. "Really?"

"Yes, Cam, really." John strolled towards her and smiled at her lovingly. "May I take some of your burden?" he reached for the bags, but before he could take them from his wife, a voice stopped him.

"John Connor, don't you dare touching those bags! It's only for Cameron's and my eyes for now!" Sarah glared at her son to prevent him from peeking inside the bags. She knew her son all too well and was sure that he couldn't resist throwing a look into the gifts they brought.

John gave his mother an exasperated look and sighed theatrically. "Mom! You know I wouldn't do that!"

"of course you would! So, keep your hands off the bags." Sarah answered sharply but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Cameron grinned slightly at the exchange between her husband and her mother in law before she looked into John's eyes. "I agree with Sarah, John. It should be a surprise."

Allison Lyn was grinning like a Cheshire cat and pulled John at his hand. "You really should listen to mommy, daddy."

"Not you too!" John rolled his eyes but grinned immediately. "Why, you … little devil." He bowed to his daughter and before she could run away, began to tickle her.

Allison Lyn's eyes grew wide and she squirmed under her father's hands, laughing aloud before she managed to get out of his grasp and hide behind Cameron's leg, only her head peeking from behind her safe hideaway. "Stop! Mommy will protect me!" She managed between laughs.

"Correct, John. Don't do it, or I'll have to do the same to you!" Cameron's voice was flat, but her amused eyes told him she would enjoy it far too much, should she get the chance to tickle him. He remembered how it was when she did it before and his eyes widened in faked fear.

"Oh no, a very scary Cameron is going to torture poor John Connor! You should have mercy for the messiah of the human race." He faked fear.

Allison Lyn just managed to stop laughing, but as she heard her father's words and saw his face, she started laughing again, causing even Sarah and Cameron to smile at the fearful face of one John Connor.

Few minutes later, they all stopped laughing and John finally managed to give his wife a kiss on the lips. "I'm sure you got me something beautiful, didn't you?"

Cameron smiled at him. "Of course I did. But you'll have to wait to open your presents." Then she paused and looked at him thoughtfully. "Did you get me anything, John?"

Her slightly tilted head and almost childlike expectation on her features caused John's heart to begin beating faster. "Of course I did!"

"Well then … let's bring these bags into some hiding place, where investigating John Connor won't be able to find them." Sarah interrupted and grinned at her daughter in law. "I suggest my room."

John grinned wide at his mother. If there was one room in the whole house in which he didn't dare to put a foot in, it was his mother's one. "I wouldn't dare getting into the dragon's cave."

Sarah gave him a threatening look. "Dragon's cave?"

"Oh well, you know, mom. Pissing you off is worse than fighting the seven headed dragon." John carefully made a step away from his mother to avoid possible lashing out of her hand and he grinned at her cheekily.

"Pfffff! Dragon!" Sarah hissed indignantly and lifted her chin. "You'll regret calling me a dragon, boy!" She strolled away with head held high and left a bemused Cameron and grinning John behind, while Allison Lyn decided to accompany her grandmother.

"Did you have to go so far?" Cameron now turned towards her husband and looked at him imploringly.

"It had to be said once, don't you agree?" John answered still grinning after his mother.

"She might not be a dragon, but she's the one who gave me a thermite bath." Cameron remembered and frowned. "Do dragons give thermite baths? I surely don't want to get another one."

John turned to look at his wife and his grin widened. "I don't know about dragons. But I know about my mom. She did it, but I'm sure she wouldn't do it again. After all … how could she rob her granddaughter of her mommy? She simply adores Ally."

"Well, at least I'm safe in that aspect." Cameron frowned deeper before she turned to follow Sarah.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" John looked at her questioningly.

"I have to bring the gifts into the dragon's cave." Cameron deadpanned and strolled towards the door to follow Sarah and Allison Lyn.

John gaped after her with open mouth before he began to grin a gain and shook his head. _I asked for it, didn't I?_

XXXXXXXXXX

The lights on the Christmas tree blinked slowly, enveloping the otherwise almost dark living room, illuminated only by few candles, into an almost ethereal atmosphere. Cameron and John sat on the couch and looked at the tree. John's arm encircled Cameron's shoulders and she half lied on his chest, her head resting on it, while she hugged him with both arms.

"Did we do a good job with Ally?" John asked quietly, his eyes settling on the top of his wife's head.

Cameron slowly tilted her face upwards so that she looked into John's face. She gave him her beaming smile and nodded. Or at least tried to nod, for she had difficulties being so nestled into his chest. "Yes, John. It was really a nice surprise. I love the tree." She then turned her head back to look at the Christmas tree, before speaking very quietly. "I'm sorry that I'm not exactly of any help in decorating the tree." Her voice sounded fragile, vulnerable and full of remorse.

John's heart almost broke upon hearing his wife saying those words. "Cam, don't ever say anything like this, please! Yes, you may not be the person with the best taste concerning decorating of the Christmas tree, but you are as hell the best possible mother to Allison Lyn and the best possible wife to me. No matter what, we both love you very much." He paused before continuing. "I would have never managed it without you. And that's the fact!"

Cameron again turned to look at her husband and her eyes looked at him questioningly. "Do you really mean what you just said, John? Do you really think so?" She was sometimes still insecure of her importance in John's life, of her role as a mother to a little girl.

John bowed his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Cam, if I ever meant anything serious than it's this: I need you more than you could ever imagine. I love you more than you could ever believe. I will always cherish every moment I'm spending with you."

Cameron smiled at him relieved and wanted to say something, as Allison Lyn stormed into the room. "Hey, why are you two sitting in the dark?" Suddenly a light switch has been flipped on and they both saw Allison Lyn, standing with her fists again her hips, glaring at her parents angrily. "You should have put all the presents under the tree! Why didn't you do it?"

John felt how his cheeks warmed a little. He really promised his daughter they would arrange the presents under the tree, but ad he laid his arms around his wife he simply forgot his promise and got lost in the moment. "Sorry, pumpkin, we got … uhm … distracted!"

"I can see that!" Allison Lyn answered angrily and marched towards the tree angrily. "Now I have to do it all by myself!" She gave her parents a dirty look and continued her march towards the Christmas tree.

"Wait, Allison Lyn, I'll help you!" Cameron lifted into upright position and wanted to stand up, as she was cut off by her daughter.

"Don't bother, mommy! I'll do it myself. I see that you prefer cuddling with daddy instead of doing something useful." Allison Lyn sounded definitely pissed off.

John and Cameron exchanged an incredulous look, but Cameron was the first to assess the situation. She turned to her daughter with a knowing smirk: "OK, than do it by yourself."

John already opened his mouth in indignation to protest, but Cameron quickly put her finger upon his lips and as soon as he looked at her, she shook her head and grinned at him.

For a second John looked at her not understanding what she wanted to convey to him, but then he slowly realized and grinned at his wife, nodding vigorously.

Allison Lyn stopped in her tracks as she heard her mother and looked at her incredulously. She met a serious face, brown eyes gazing at her and stoic face. She turned her eyes to her father and believed to see an amusement flickering over his face for just a moment, before he got the same stoic expression as her mother's. She couldn't believe. They were mocking her! They were definitely mocking her! She lifted her chin demonstratively and marched towards her goal. If they don't want to help her, then she'd do it by herself. And as soon as she reached the tree, she began to rearrange the gifts under it according to her ideas.

XXXXXXXXXX

"The food was fantastic!" Derek leaned back in his chair and gently caressed his overfilled stomach.

"Thank you, Derek. I wouldn't have believed you'd ever praise my cooking. My first thought would be, you'd reject it, fearing I might poison you!" Cameron looked at John's uncle with barely hidden amusement in her voice.

"Well, few years ago I'd probably reject anything you'd cook, but now …" Derek shrugged and looked at Cameron openly. "I would have never believed before, but you convinced me that you're nothing like the other machines."

"My mommy may be a machine, but she's … my mommy!" Allison Lyn looked at her uncle Derek with dark face and it was obvious that she wouldn't tolerate any more remarks about her mommy.

"It's OK, darling." Cameron now turned to her daughter and ran her hand down Allison Lyn's hair. "I know uncle Derek very well and I know how to shut him up if he'd be too … rude."

"Definitely!" John nodded. "Uncle Derek had been a real ass.."

"JOHN!" Cameron and Sarah yelled almost in unison at the one John Connor to prevent him from saying some rude words."

John flinched upon hearing angry voices of his mother and his wife, then turned to look at Cameron sheepishly. "What? I just wanted …"

"Allison Lyn might be almost seven, but she doesn't need to hear such words." Sarah answered before Cameron could react and gazed at her son angrily.

"But … I just wanted to say that her uncle Derek had …"

This time it was Cameron to cut him off. "I know! But now is not the time nor the place to explain such things!"She caught Derek's thankful look and nodded to him with a slight smile on her lips.

Allison Lyn was following the debate with open mouth and her eyes darted from one member of her family to another in confusion. "Mommy?" Her tentative voice caused Cameron to look at her daughter regretfully.

"It's nothing important darling. Your daddy was just about to say some dirty words, but we had to stop him."

"Why? So that I don't get to hear dirty words?" Allison Lyn looked at her mother confused.

"Yes! You're too young. You'll hear enough of it when you're older." Cameron smiled at her daughter before she gave John another dirty look.

John almost flinched again, but then gave up. There was no way he could win this fight with his mother and his wife. He looked at Derek, asking for some kind of help, but only got a shrug and a meaningful grin in response. _OK, I deserved this! I tried to picture him as an asshole, but then I ask for his help. Well done, Johnny boy, well done!_

Cameron noticed the slightly tense atmosphere and decided that it was unacceptable. "We should now open our presents!" She got up and stretched her hand towards her daughter. "Shall we, Allison Lyn?"

Allison Lyn jumped up in glee and grabbed her mother's hand. "YES! I want it!"

TBC


End file.
